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Toads And Diamonds (2010)

by Heather Tomlinson(Favorite Author)

3.67 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0805089683 (ISBN13: 9780805089684)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Henry Holt and Co.

review 1: It's always nice to discover a prize winning book that deserves the prize. This one's another novel based roughly on a fairy tale, with a bit of cultural history thrown in. Set in a kind of India of the Maharajahs, where invaders of a monotheistic religion are ruling over the polytheistic natives, the story concerns sisters who are "blessed" by one of the goddesses--one to strew flowers and diamonds when she speaks, the other to produce frogs, snakes and toads when she speaks. The story is their adventures, with point of view alternating between the sisters. Lots of adventure, with strong female protagonists learning and acting, and some romance, too....positive and clean!!
review 2: Toads and Diamonds is one I have been waiting to read, and now I have the ... moreperfect excuse! I love fairy tale style stories, and this is an AMAZING one. It's based on the (grimm?) fairy tale of the good girl who spews diamonds and flowers when she speaks and the bad girl who gets toads and snakes. Tomlinson sets this story in a made up country that bears a strong resemblance to South Asia under Muslim rule (but the author is careful to say it's a made up religion and country). The two sisters are blessed by a goddess and each one must figure out how to best use their gifts. My favorite part of this story is the fact that both gifts are curses and blessings at once......jewels make the one sister a prime target for kidnapping as well as a prisoner of the empire (easier than mining for jewels, that's for sure) and the other sister is able to bring much needed snakes to fight the rat infestation due to the governor's campaign to kill snakes (which has also lead to many diseases and plagues)........and a bit of romance is worked into the tale as well, though subtly, so it's perfectly aligned with classic fairy tales and also great for middle school readers.....or really any age that enjoys a great altered fairy tale. AMAZING book! less

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