The Conch Bearer (Brotherhood of the Conch)

The Conch Bearer demonstrates very effectively through it's 12-year old hero Anand, the demons and conflicts that most people face in real life when they are learning to trust their instincts, believe in themselves, reach out for assistance and look for the answers within. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni also demonstrates through the young heroine Nisha (who is critical to Anand's eventual success) that not only are women just as smart, resourceful and capable but that no one achieves success solely through their own efforts. Anand eventually realizes these facts and accords Nisha the trust, love, and gratitude she is due as a loyal friend who would selflessly give her life to ensure his success. My family thoroughly enjoyed this very satisfying and magical book. I also liked that Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni demonstrated the spiritual, mental and physical effects of poverty in a very accessible way bringing to mind the way Charles Dickens handled the themes of poverty in his books. Children younger than 10 years old would most probably not be able to grasp the more subtle underlying themes of spiritual and character development on their own.

I am a thirty year old college student and in a Children's Literature class I was assigned to read a children's book about a different culture. After searching the internet, I came across this book. I was skeptic to purchase this book because of the title but the story's description and previous comments changed my mind. After I started this book I could not stop, the author's vivid details pulled me right in. I loved it, this is a great book for young and old readers. I considered buying the other volumes but now that the class is over, my reading material has shifted to economics and accounting.

Many of the formulas of a classic fantasy story are present in "The Conch Bearer," by Chitra Bannerjee Divakaruni. A young boy discovers he is meant to follow a supernatural destiny. On his troubled journey to meet his fate, he is joined by a wise old mentor and a spunky sidekick. Plagued by his enemy the entire way, they finally engage in a climactic showdown. However, this story is refreshingly different from most fantasies for children and young adults in its setting, characters and conflict resolutions. Prolific readers may recognize that these same fantasy plot devices are also used in the bestselling book "Eragon," by Christopher Paolini. While "Eragon" was an enjoyable read, I think that "The Conch Bearer" accomplishes all the same goals, and does so much more...in about 200 fewer pages, no less... Instead of a young hero whose destiny lies in war and battle, "The Conch Bearer" gives us a compassionate and caring hero who is destined to join the Brotherhood of Healers, a group which is devoted to living in peace. Anand takes the first step of his journey when he shows kindness to a mysterious stranger. In a further break with tired tradition, the fantasy draws on Indian culture, landscape and the features of everyday life to provide a multicultural perspective. The little details which the author includes will intrigue and delight readers used to adventures based on Northern European and British folklore and history. The best feature of this book is the glimpses that readers receive into the hero's inner life during his complicated journey. We see Anand grow and mature throughout the book, and it's his moments of inner conflict that provide the most suspense for readers. The reader is really able to engage and empathize with the characters in this adventure. However, "The Conch Bearer" isn't all warm fuzzies - there are still enough moments of scariness and suspense to satisfy the most demanding readers of adventure tales. In my opinion, it's interesting to compare this story with "Eragon" to demonstrate what is innovative in storytelling today and what's played out. The best fantasy stories are those which lead the reader on an adventure that is both familiar and completely new.

Fantastic book! I use this, in addition to the excerpt from Divakaruni's website as an introduction lesson to teach tone. Students love the thrill! It is also a fantastic multicultural piece to allow students to learn about a culture different from their own that is relatable.

Great book for kids. Highly recommend! My niece loved it! Will be buying the sequels for her.

My daughter 3rd grade) and I are just finishing this book up. It's filled with great lessons about honesty loyalty and compassion!!

My daughter enjoyed the book. It was a summer reading homework book recommended by her high school.

This was a really beautifully written novel that reminded me of A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park mixed up with Rohinton Mistry's A Fine Balance. A poor young boy is asked by a powerful sorcerer to help him bring back the sacred conch to the silver valley. A sweeper girl sort of tags along much to the dismay of both of them, but does wind up being an important asset. Along the way, they must decide who to trust as the evil sorcerer who originally stole the conch tries to get it back. At the end, the boy must decide if he wants to stay and be a healer and the bearer of the conch with the monks, or return to his loving family, reunited and healed since his absence. The descriptions of food were so vivid in this novel I actually went out to my fave Indian restaurant upon finishing it, and then bought some frozen samosas and some other Indian foods after it. It was really an enjoyable book, but I give it four stars because I just felt something was missing. The description of the culture was great, but I wonder if it would have been if I didn't know all about the food prior to reading it. The battles between good and evil should have been much more dramatic. It took me about a week to get halfway through it, and then I finally got hooked. I can't really explain what was missing, but there was a little something. Still, it was really an excellent book.

One of my most favourite books. Im 22 so wouldn't really class this as just a children's book. I loved it and so did my boyfriend and he's 25. Its so imaginative! One of the best stories I've read in years, after this I bought the remaining two books in the series. What a great Author, I will follow her work forever now. Highly recommend this book

Not as good as Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's adult novels, which are more compelling and have greater originality of tone, this is a pleasant fantasy about a boy's quest to safely return a magical conch shell to the mysterious Silver Valley. While the Indian setting does come to life, the dialogue was marred for me by intrusive Americanisms (e.g. 'wash up' instead of 'wash yourself') and an absence of Indian-English. Perhaps the author was afraid her younger readers might be put off by more authentic dialogue? The fantasy elements are not particularly original but well-managed and the book's messages about judging by appearances and the dangers of power are true any time, anywhere. An enjoyable read, but not an essential one. Her adult books are more compelling.

Great thank u.my daughter been looking 4 this for 10 years.

Absolutely gripping. So mouthwatering, beautifully depicted and enthralling! I read it to my year 6 class and they were hooked! Fantastic!