Aarti and the Blue Gods

by Jasbinder Bilan

Interest age: 9 to 11
Reading age: 9+

Published by Chicken House, 2021

  • Adventure
  • Coming-of-age

About this book

Aunt often tells Aarti that she is an ‘Indian princess in the Scottish wilds’ but Aarti doesn’t really know what that means.

Aunt also says the world is full of bad things and cruel people and that they are lucky to be safe and alone on their island. But sometimes Aarti doesn’t feel lucky: not when Aunt gets her out of bed in the middle of the night to go fishing in the cold or when she sends her out to stand in the snow, barefooted, for hours on end.

And Aarti is sure Aunt is keeping secrets from her and that the answers to her many questions lie behind the mysterious, locked door that Aunt won’t talk about.

Then something happens that forces Aarti to take control of her own future – and she can only do that by finding out about her past.

This delicious mix of mystery, adventure and fantasy is gripping and irresistible as readers only get the hints about what Aarti’s truth might be as she discovers it herself.

The story is packed with unexpected twists and turns and draws on some remarkable similarities between Scottish and Indian mythologies. An exciting, magical tale of faith and belonging.

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