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terriko ([personal profile] terriko) wrote2011-02-02 08:34 pm
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Brief book review: Toads and Diamonds

This is the last book review for those books actually finished in January! Turns out I forgot this one, so there's actually one more than I mentioned in "one book a week, one a month, one a year...?"



Toads and Diamonds

Twitter-sized review: This re-told fairy tale adds a lot more than usual to the original, giving us *two* strong heroines and a beautiful world

Longer notes: A quick websearch implies that the original story comes from a French fairy tale, but Heather Tomlinson goes above and beyond in her retelling. Now set in a fictional version of pre-colonial India, this tells the story of two sisters who are both blessed with gifts, and how this completely changes their lives as a result. I have no idea of the accuracy of her historical and cultural sources, but as a fairy tale in a fictional world it's enchanting. It's a great story with not one but two strong heroines. It's a creatively woven tale that's perfect for children -- and probably a good one for boys and well as girls!