Street urchin and clever thief, Farhad spies a trinket sparkling in a lotus pond. As soon as he retrieves the bauble, a bolt of lightning bearing Lord Krishna blocks Farhad’s escape. The silver locket has thrust him between Krishna and the Demon King, Ravana. Proclaiming the amulet identifies Farhad as his designated hero, Krishna discloses that Farhad is destined to save his daughter before the next full moon, when the Demon King plans to marry her. The only obstacles? Traversing the length of India, finding and defeating Ravana, and battling the Demon King and his minions all the way. Farhad’s helper? A magnificent white tiger. 2009 USBBY Outstanding International Books List, 2009 Batchelder Honor. lmp

Originally published as Ti germond in German by Loewe Verlag Germany, in 2006. Translated by Anthea Bell.

How does a story of India begin? Does it begin with the three great rivers--the Ganges, the Yamuna, the unseen Sarasvati pouring her dreaming waters down from the snowy mountains to the hot, dry plain?

This bewitching story within a story, set in magical India, explores the power of narrative to change the course of lives. Raka, the doomed young bride of a violent merchant, weaves a tale of rescue so vivid, it might just come true. She tells a servant boy the story of Farhad, a thief and unlikely hero, who must retrieve a famous jewel in order to save a kidnapped princess from a demon king. Farhad's unforgettable companion on the journey is a wisecracking white tiger with an unnatural fear of water. It is their unusual and funny friendship, and the final sacrifice that they must make, that is the heart of this grand, beautiful novel about summoning the hero within.

F&P level: Z+
F&P genre: F