From the author of American as Paneer Pie comes a magical middle
grade adventure steeped in Indian folklore following a girl who learns
how to find her voice and face her fears, perfect for fans of Aru Shah
and Amina's Song.
Ten-year-old Geetanjali doesn't mind singing, but she knows she'll never
be as good as her mother, Aai, or grandmother, Aaji, famous classical
singers from India whose celebrity has followed the family all the way
to their small town of Deadwood, Michigan, where Geetanjali lives with
her aai, and father, Baba.
After freezing on stage during a concert performance, Geetanjali adds
"fear of singing" to her list of fears, a list that seems to be
multiplying daily. Aai tries to stress the importance of using one's
voice and continuing to sing; Geetanjali hopes that when her Aaji, comes
to visit this summer, she'll be able to help her.
But when they pick Aaji up at the airport, she's not alone. Lata, an
auntie Geetanjali has never met before is with Aaji and their neighbor,
Heena Auntie, who is acting strange and mean, and not like the warm
auntie she normally is. Lata Auntie has heard all about Geetanjali's
family, growing up in India. She knows Aai and Aaji are the only ones
who can sing raag Naagshakti. Aai plays it off, but Geetanjali thinks
back to the raag in the binder that started with an N that had been torn
out. She has never heard of Raag Naagshakti, which sounds like it is
about the power of cobras.
Geetanjali is determined not to let her imagination get the best of her
and add aunties to her list of fears, but she can't help but wonder
about the connection between the missing raag, Heena Auntie's cold
behavior, and their interesting summer visitor.
