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We are so thrilled that TAMARIND & THE STAR OF ISHTA by Jasbinder Bilan has been chosen as the BA's Independent Children's Book of the Month! A beautifully-written, magical and mesmerising story set in India, Jasbinder's second novel follows her Costa Book Award-winning debut Asha & the Spirit Bird. When Tamarind visits her mother's family in India for the first time, she uncovers a mystery hidden in the enchanting gardens of her ancestral home ...

'I absolutely adored it.' - Sita Brahmachari

Tamarind never knew her Indian mum, Chinty, 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 …

Grab a copy at your local bookshop now! You can find your nearest indie here, and follow Jasbinder on Twitter: @jasinbath