"There is no frigate like a book,” Emily Dickinson said. And that’s exactly how The Golden Necklace made me feel. Reading this book was like opening a window to another world, filled with tea, diverse cultures and traditions, and a girl who sees what others miss.
As I read Sona’s story, I couldn’t help thinking of the time I lived in places where clean water was a precious gift, like the Crimea and Honduras. It made me think about how books can help children—and adults—appreciate simple things we often take for granted.
Synopsis
National Book Award nominee Mitali Perkins crafts a contemporary chapter-book mystery about a 12-year-old Nepali girl who sets out to solve the disappearance of her Bengali friend’s missing jewelry.
Sona, a 12-year-old Nepali girl, has struck up a friendship with Tara, the niece of the greedy tea plantation manager who has promised Tara’s hand in marriage in order to get his hands on her inheritance of precious jewelry. Then Tara’s gold jewelry goes missing. The search is on for the culprit, and Sona must use all her wits in order to prove it wasn’t her beloved brother, Samiran Daju, who stole it.
Filled with vivid characters against a complex and multilayered political and cultural backdrop, this novel showcases a strong girl protagonist whom readers will root for. The Golden Necklace is award-winning author Mitali Perkins’s latest and most compelling story yet. (from Penguin Random House)
Reading Guide: This book would appeal to 7-10-year-olds as a Morning
Time read-aloud and independent readers at the 3rd-5th-grade reading
level. It's illustrated and only 128 pages, so it's a gentle
introduction to middle grade mysteries.
Why This Story Stays with Me
1. The rich detail of life near a Darjeeling Tea plantation. Sona had to wait in line to fetch water every day, and the tea workers wore forehead straps to carry the heavy bamboo baskets of tea. While some of the cultural terms were new to me, they felt like a gentle invitation to learn alongside Sona.
2. How poverty was depicted. I loved the quiet details of Sona’s life—the way she saved water for emergencies, the meals she prepared, and her fierce loyalty to her brother when a rumor threatened his business. I rooted for Sona as she helped her family. Her dedication to learning and wanting to succeed in school was especially inspiring.
3. Beautiful friendships. I really enjoyed that Sona had kindred spirits across culture and social barriers: Jampa, who only spoke Tibetan, and with whom she communicated mostly through gestures, and Tara, who was both older and from a higher social sphere. All the girls helped each other, despite their differences.
4. Family relationships! I loved how Sona’s heart for her brother was at the center of the mystery. Finding the necklace was the only way to prove his innocence and keep their small world safe. I loved how Sona and her mother supported each other through the ache of losing Sona’s father while simply trying to put food on the table each day.
5. More than just a mystery. This was a story about girl finding quiet courage to help her family. That’s exactly where Perkins shines. Like with Bamboo People or Ricksaw Girl, Perkins has given us a true sense of place, making a far-off tea plantation feel as real as our own cozy reading chair.
| Max, the Reading Dog |
Max’s Bone-Rating:
🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴
5/5 Bones for Kutu! He shows that sometimes the best mystery-solving partner has four legs and a very good nose. Sona couldn’t have solved the case without him!
A Note for the Front Porch:
Does your family have a favorite 'window book' that took you to a place you’ve never been? Or perhaps a favorite fictional mystery that kept your young readers guessing?
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