Nush and the Stolen Emerald
Like the start of a Bond movie, the reader is swept into this story as Anushka races bare-back through the Indian desert dawn on her pony. She and her twin brother are out without permission, defying the wrath of their father – the Maharajah. As they scramble back to the palace, they glimpse officers of the East India Company, who pose an unexplained threat. The scene is set for a pacy action adventure in which Nush travels as a stowaway to the court of Queen Victoria, in search of a huge emerald stolen from her family by officers of the Raj.
From Nush’s palace home with its ornate jali screens allowing cooling breezes, we are transported to a very different place. London is described through her Indian eyes as having ‘streets filled with horses, and smoke rising into the sky like funeral pyres’. With her royal heritage, Nush proudly enters the Royal household as an equal. (The grand paintings must be the Queen’s family “placed, just as ours are, for all to see.”) Befriended by the royal children, Nush’s quest takes her into fascinating situations such as the royal box at the theatre, riding by carriage to St Paul’s and staying with Prince Albert on the Isle of Wight.
The narrative, as the author notes, is based on an actual visit by the Maharaja of Coorg and his daughter to Queen Victoria in 1852. Like Nush’s papa, he came to enlist the Queen’s help to get his kingdom back from the East India Company. This dark period of colonial history is cleverly sketched alongside Anushka’s attempts to recover the gemstone that has spiritual meaning to her country. The story is a page-turner, involving detective work, rooftop chases and underground escapes. An exciting read from an award-winning writer for readers 9+.
