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The Conch Bearer

Written by: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Narrated by: Alan Cumming
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Publisher's Summary

In a dingy shack in the less-than-desirable Indian neighborhood he calls home, 12-year-old Anand is entrusted with a conch shell that possesses mystical powers. His task is to return the shell to its rightful home many hundreds of miles away. Accompanying him are Nisha, a headstrong but resourceful child of the streets, and a mysterious man of indeterminate age and surprising resources named Abadhyatta. His quest will take him farther from home than he's ever been and will teach him more than he ever imagined - and it will force him to make a poignant decision that will change him forever.
©2004 Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (P)2004 Listening Library
Teen & Young Adult
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YA Fantasy in a Refreshing New Context

A delightful shift in YA fantasy. Engaging adventure. Well written. Set in India, it is a refreshing change of scene from fantasy worlds based in Eurocentric settings. India's mythology is rich and addresses universal themes. It's about time Westerners discovered its potential to entertain and expand horizons. Would love to see this made into a film.

The only flaw in the audio version of the book is the terrible narration. The acting was fine perhaps but the faux accents were distracting and bordering on offensive. It's a familiar colonial move to cast a white actor to play a character of color and fake accented dialogue. It needs to stop. I missed the authentic cadence, rhythms, and pronunciations of Indian-flavored English. This was worse than Apu of The Simpsons, who is a comedic caricature. Conch Bearer, however, is a fine literary work cheapened by oblivious white-washing.

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