Publisher: Charlesbridge
Format Read: Hardcover
Number of pages: 128 pages
Publishing: October 7th, 2025
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review
Opening Lines: "Sona lit a candle, sat at her small studying table, and opened her English textbook."
Sona lives in the mountains near Darjeeling, a city in northeastern India, with her older brother Samiran and their mother. She is working hard to prepare for an English language proficiency test to earn a scholarship at the prestigious Darjeeling International School. However, she finds learning English quite challenging, as the grammar rules can be confusing, and the tricky spellings make pronunciation tough to master.
Her family has also been going through tough financial times, with money being tight and everyone needing to pitch in. Sona's main jobs are to collect the water and study for her exam. Samiran took out a loan for a food stand but was unsuccessful in getting any customers and still owes a huge sum of money for the loan. His past history of being accused of stealing, has made it near to impossible for him to find work. Despite being proven innocent, no one is willing to take a chance on him.
Sona's only friend is Tara, the niece of Banerji, the tea plantation manager who locks Tara into her room, forcing her to work as an unpaid secretary for his business. Sona can only visit Tara by climbing up a tree near her balcony and sneaking into her room. If Banerji were to catch them, Sona's mother would likely lose her job at the tea plantation. One day while Sona is visiting, Tara confides that her uncle has arranged a marriage for her and plans to sell her inheritance, precious gold jewelry left to her by her parents. He wants to use the cash to fund opening a hotel. However, when Tara's gold jewelry suddenly goes missing, Banerji goes on a rampage to find the thief. Sona begins her own search for the culprit and hopes that her beloved brother, Samiran won't become a suspect.
The Golden Necklace can be read as a standalone novel but also seems to kick off a new series by Mitali Perkins. I really enjoyed the themes of faith, trust and responsibility. Also, the importance of seeking the truth. Sona works very hard with her studies in hopes of someday becoming a teacher. Tara also has dreams, which don't include an arranged marriage. It's nice to see that despite coming from two different caste systems, they're able to be friends and help each other out. The story has a huge set of suspects, but Sona quickly solves the mystery, and the resolution is nicely done. Other books by this author include Monsoon Summer, Rickshaw Girl and Bamboo People.
**A huge thank you to Charlesbridge for the hardcover ARC for my review**
The book cover is gorgeous. This sounds like a book I'd really enjoy with the setting in India and the mystery. I like that it's not too long also. I'll keep my eye out for it. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like there are more than a few things to enjoy in this one. I'm going to keep my eye out for it, since it's sounds like something I'd enjoy. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMitali Perkins is one of my favorite authors! I'm excited to see her venture into mysteries. This sounds like a fantastic read! I'm adding it to my TBR.
ReplyDeleteYour description of the characters sure has me wanting to read this one. I also love that cover and the story sounds like it lives up to its potential. Happy MMGM!
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