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Where the River Runs Gold

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Book Synopsis

Two children must risk everything to escape their fate and find the impossible . . . bold adventure, timely climate change themes and breathtaking writing, from award-winning author Sita Brahmachari.

Shifa and her brother, Themba, live in Kairos City with their father, Nabil. The few live in luxury, whilst the millions like them crowd together in compounds, surviving on meagre rations and governed by Freedom Fields – the organisation that looks after you, as long as you opt in.

The bees have long disappeared; instead children must labour on farms, pollinating crops by hand so that the nation can eat. The farm Shifa and Themba are sent to is hard and cruel. Themba won’t survive there and Shifa comes up with a plan to break them out. But they have no idea where they are – their only guide is a map drawn from the ramblings of a stranger.

The journey ahead is fraught with danger, but Shifa is strong and knows to listen to her instincts – to let love guide them home. The freedom of a nation depends on it . . .

 

Our Review Panel says...

In a time when the bees have long gone and artificial pollination prevails, two children must risk everything to expose the truth. The freedom of a nation and the future of the natural world depend on it …

A powerful and timely story of hope, love, friendship and the importance of protecting our natural world. Shifa’s life changes completely when she finds out the dark secret about where she comes from. At the same time, her hometown is falling apart and drying up. She and her brother are taken away by a powerful group that controls everything and uses children to help keep their world running. But Shifa does not give up. As she tries to get back home, she faces big dangers—but also makes new friends, learns who she really is, and finds the courage to stand up and protect our world.

Once I started reading, I could not put this book down. I have read many of Sita Brahmachari’s novels, and this is my favourite by far. It is beautifully written and very relevant to current conversations around climate change. This book will appeal to children and adults and is ideally suited to mature KS2 and early KS3. My daughter was as hooked as I was, and the story provided lots of opportunities for some quite thought-provoking discussions.

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Where the River Runs Gold

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