Publishers Weekly
Set in a lightly fictionalized India, Tomlinson’s retelling of the Perrault fairy tale gains new resonance in a culture where reptiles are honored. Stepsisters Diribani, 15, and Tana, 16, are struggling to keep their household together after their father’s murder. He was a jewel merchant, and Tana hopes to follow in his footsteps. But these dreams are swept out of reach when Diribani comes back from the local well bringing not water but a gift from the snake goddess, Naghali—gems and flowers that drop from her lips when she speaks. The girls’ mother quickly sends Tana to the well, too, but she returns with an even stranger gift of snakes, frogs, and toads. The awe over Diribani’s gift from people both humble and mighty is predictable, but it’s refreshing to see the matter-of-fact welcome that Tana’s snakes receive from the townspeople. Tomlinson (The Swan Maiden) does not oversimplify in this well-told tale; human discord and the harmony of nature are entwined with simplicity and elegance as the girls travel, physically and emotionally, to places they had never imagined. Ages 12-up. (Apr.)
VOYA
- Melissa Moore
Stepsisters Diribani and Tana have their individual qualities—beauty, kindness, a love for each other—and both are blessed by one of the Twelve, the goddess Naghali-ji, who appears to each girl in disguise. The lovely Diribani is given a gift—when she speaks, flowers and gems are produced from her words—yet is taken (ostensibly for her own safety) into the care of Prince Zahid. More pragmatic Tana is given the supposed curse of speaking frogs and snakes and is sent to live on the outskirts of town because the region's governor has a morbid fear of snakes. While Diribani languishes in the castle, pining for a prince she can never have, Tana experiences the seamier side of life and soon learns of the plague that is devastating the countryside. Tomlinson takes a lesser-known story from Charles Perrault and sets it in fifteenth-century India. Chapters alternate between the girls' points-of-view, and both voices are authentic. Ranks in society, problems with wealth and power, and even an alternative religion are explored in a vividly imagined world. Tomlinson's intent is admirable but falls short of the goal—secondary characters are easily confused and less-fully developed, Diribani's voice especially becomes tiresome, and the reader is at a loss to understand why Tana would be "cursed" when she is just as likeable as her sister. The last sixty pages bring their two separate story lines into a momentous conclusion where their problems are solved almost too neatly. Reviewer: Melissa Moore
Children's Literature
- Uma Krishnaswami
Tomlinson (The Swan Maiden) retells the Perrault fairytale of two sisters whose gifts could equally be regarded as blessings and curses. Tomlinson sets the story in a fictionalized kingdom that owes many of its elements to India during the Mughal period. Colorful geography can be found here in plenty, with elephants, mahouts, cobras, temple groves, and the scents of sandal and jasmine. Thankfully, the fantasy outshines the exoticism, so that the overwhelming impression is not of India but of a well-crafted fairytale world. In it, a goddess-worshiping, vegetarian culture is ruled by an austere, meat-eating, monotheistic one, with sisters Diribani and Tana at the center of the story. Each of them encounters the goddess Naghali by the village well, an inciting incident that remains true to the Perrault tale. As a result, Diribani begins to let gems and flowers fall from her lips with every word she utters, while Tana starts to speak with snakes and toads falling from her mouth. The story spins out in third person narrative with the sisters as alternating viewpoint characters. While Diribani is taken to the ladies' court as a guest of the crown, Tana is sent to live by a sacred well. Lush settings, a calendar with animal-named months, a classic premise, ancient stepwells, and a few surprising turns of story combine to make this an interesting addition to the fantasy bookshelf. Reviewer: Uma Krishnaswami
School Library Journal
Gr 7 Up—This is an impressive reimagining of Perrault's classic tale, set in precolonial India. Stepsisters Diribani and Tana are on the edge of poverty when they are blessed and cursed by the goddess Naghali-ji. Diribani, the beautiful and polite one, speaks flowers and jewels every time a sound is uttered from her perfect lips, while Tana, often rude, speaks toads and snakes. Soon Diribani is taken in by a handsome prince who seeks to protect her from those who would use her gift for ill. Tana's fate is not so comfortable, as she is forced out of the village before she is caught by the authorities. Tomlinson creates a rich story with opulent visuals that make the teens' world come to life. Readers can feel the hard jewels in Diribani's mouth, and taste the dirt and dust as Tana flees. Best of all, Tomlinson creates a truly remarkable bond between the girls, obliterating the trite stepsister stereotype. The text may be challenging at times, but this extraordinary entry in the retellings genre is definitely worth its weight in diamonds. Fans of Shannon Hale and Robin McKinley will eat it up.—Lisa Marie Williams, East Gwillimbury Public Library, Holland Landing, Ontario
Kirkus Reviews
Charles Perrault published the tale in 1695, and Robert D. San Souci and Jerry Pinkney brought it to the American South in The Talking Eggs (1988). Now here is a fleshed-out version of this folk motif that tells the story of two stepsisters and their fate-changing encounter with a goddess. One girl speaks with gems and flowers, the other with toads and snakes-gift or curse, depending on your viewpoint. Tropes of the genre are nicely twisted: Both girls are nicer than in the short versions, the worldbuilding has shallow roots in Mughal India and the ending is much kinder to the toad-speaking sister. The writing is fluid and the retelling clever. Third-person narration alternates between the two girls, allowing for a broad view of the land, culture and customs (including great descriptions of clothing) as well as the girls' relationships. The story's climax is a lulu, while the resolution is satisfying, if a little anticlimactic. A great read for fans of fairy-tale retellings, this book should be very popular with older tweens and teens. An author's note contextualizes the telling. (Fairy tale. 12-16)
