Toads and Diamonds

by Heather Tomlinson

A retelling of the Perrault fairy tale set in pre-colonial India, in which two stepsisters receive gifts from a goddess and each walks her own path to find her gift's purpose, discovering romance along the way.

• ISBN10: 0805089683
• ISBN13: 9780805089684
• Publish Date: 30 March 2010
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Henry Holt & Company
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 278
• Language: English

Reviews

[nannah]

This book has been on my to-read list for what feels like forever, so when I saw it featured at my library I decided enough was enough. I can definitely see what would have drawn me to it many years ago, but I think it’s not as great a fit for me now.

Representation:
- the two protagonists, as well as the rest of the cast, are Indian

When sisters Diribani and Tana encounter the snake goddess Naghali-Ji at their local well, they’re each given extraordinary gifts: Diribani the ability to speak gemstones and flowers into existence, and Tana snakes and frogs. Diribani’s gift brings her a life among royalty, where she hopes her riches can improve the life of her people. Tana’s gift, however, makes her forced to live outside town by the snake-fearing governor. But Diribani’s world also comes with assassin’s and back-stabbing nobles, and without Tana’s ability in the village, plague spreads. The sisters are left wondering what exactly the goddess meant by giving them these abilities.

I’m familiar with the Toads and Diamonds fairytale so I know about its annoying, “bad sister gets snakes, good sister gets gems” deal. Heather Tomlinson does the story a million favors by showing that not all things are as straightforward as they seem and making her characters a little more complicated. Her writing is also beautiful and lush, transporting you to this fictional India deeply and fully.

But the religions in this world took me out of it. In the author’s note, Heather Tomlinson says the two religions featured in the novel (the MC’s religion, worshipping the 12 gods and goddesses; and the religion of those who have conquered the MC’s people, the monotheistic Believers) are invented, simply containing characteristics of many of India’s religions. However, it reads like Tana and Diribani’s religion is largely based on Hinduism, with little bits of inspiration taken from other religions -- and the Believers largely on Islam. Even more so when she notes that the novel resembles the Mughal Empire’s time period, in which Islam ruled over many Hindu artisans.

Obviously, that’s not a problem by itself, but the Believers and their religion aren’t really depicted in a lovely kind of light. There are specific Believers who are good people, but the religion itself and its customs don’t stop being badmouthed throughout the entire novel. For a book made for a Western audience, this leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

Not to mention, I expected religion to play a larger role than it did. It was presented as a huge issue between all the characters, and then it was kind of dropped by the end.
I do think the story is okay. It has its strengths, but it didn’t engross me as much as I hoped it would.

[Briana @ Pages Unbound]

Toads and Diamonds sets itself apart as a retelling of a fairytale not often chosen for the honor; “Cinderella,” “The Twelve Dancing Princesses,” and “Sleeping Beauty” are far more common. It also has a unique setting, drawing on the culture and religion of India instead of a western European country. For both decisions, Tomlinson deserves credit for her willingness to branch out and add something new to a genre where the books have many opportunities to sound the same. Toads and Diamonds is a refreshing and enchanting read that brings its audience to an exotic location where it seems obvious that magic can happen.

Tomlinson also reimagined the basic plotline of the tale, making both sisters “good.” This was a little unclear at first, as Tana repeatedly put herself down and observed that Diribani was a much better person, making it difficult to decide whether this is only Tana’s opinion or if it is something the narrator wanted the readers to believe. It is definitely only her opinion. Both Diribani and Tana are brave protagonists with good hearts, and it is fun to watch their adventures together as sisters and then alone when they are separated. The chapters are divided to alternate telling the story from each of their perspectives, and although the transitions are sometimes jarring, the plotlines are equally engaging.

Although this is a middle grade book, the romance part of these plots was disappointing. Both girls (who are around fifteen-years-old) had boys in whom they were interested, but the boys did not exhibit much attention in return. Admittedly, Tana had cobras leaping from her mouth, which is not very romantic. There is an explanation offered as to why Diribani’s love interest cannot too openly notice her, but it is somewhat of a stretch and its only obvious purpose seems to be to avoid overt romance in a children’s book. Ultimately, it is just unsatisfying that the two daydream so much and get little in return. Even the conclusions of these relationships is also left mostly open to the readers’ imaginations.

Other elements of the stories require, more than imagination, a leap of faith. Tana’s tale has some thrilling moments that are ultimately unbelievable. To avoid spoilers, I can only say that she ends up being pursued because of her gift, but the motivation given for this and subsequent actions does not really make sense. The deeds are just so extreme that they seem unrealistic. Yes, fairytales require some suspension of disbelief, but readers still expect characters to act in a logical manner.

Toads and Diamonds is charming and has some beautifully written passages. Two loyal sisters as protagonists is also very appealing. Overall, however, there is just too much missing to allow it to rise to the top of my list of favorite fairy tale retellings.

This review was also posted at Pages Unbound Book Reviews.