Tamarind & the Star of Ishta

From the author of the Costa Award-winning Asha & the Spirit Bird comes a breathtaking, magical adventure … WINNER OF THE INDIE CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD LONGLISTED FOR THE BLUE PETER BOOK AWARD ‘I absolutely adored it … an achingly beautiful story’ Sita Brahmachari ‘A lush, gorgeous setting in a novel as vivid and original as her Costa-winning debut.’ The Guardian ‘Beautifully written, richly atmospheric and touchingly spiritual, this brief novel sparkles like a polished gem’ Daily Mail Tamarind never knew her Indian mum, who died soon after she was born.

So when she arrives at her ancestral home, a huge mansion in the Himalayas surrounded by luxuriant gardens, she’s full of questions for her extended family. But instead of answers, she finds an ominous silence – and a trickle of intriguing clues: an abandoned hut, a friendly monkey, a glowing star ring, and a strange girl in the garden who calls herself Ishta. Slowly, Tamarind unravels a mystery at the heart of who she is …

The second novel by Jasbinder Bilan, author of the Costa Award-winning Asha & the Spirit Bird and a rising star in middle-grade fiction. Perfect for readers aged 9 and up – for fans of Kiran Millwood Hargrave. A beautiful and emotional family drama lightly woven with magic, in a breathtaking Indian setting.