The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming - Softcover

The boy magician Anand, his sassy partner Nisha, and their beloved teacher Abhaydatta reunite for a new adventure in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's second installment of her folkloric Indian fantasy series, The Brotherhood of the Conch. Anand, having discovered his vocation as Keeper of the Conch, now lives in the Himalayan Silver Valley, where he is training to become a Healer in the Brotherhood. While practicing the art of far-seeing, Anand receives a vision of a terrified wise-woman, pleading for help. Devastated by Master Abhaydatta's decision to leave him behind while he goes to the woman's aid, Anand convinces the conch to create a magic portal that he and Nisha can use to suddenly appear by Abhaydatta's side. Unfortunately, during the metaphysical hurtle, Anand is separated from Nisha and the conch and thrown back in time to an ancient Indian kingdom, where an evil sorcerer is planning the downfall of the royal family. What hope does Anand have of defeating the sorcerer, locating his friends, and returning to his own time without the powerful conch? The answers may lie in the depths of the Mirror of Fire and Dreaming...

Divakaruni maintains the spare, poetic tone, exotic setting, and diverse cast of quirky characters that made The Conch Bearer so appealing to young fantasy readers. Evoking the magic and mystery of India and the Far East, this classic quest story will be enjoyed by middle grade fans of Shiva's Fire by Susanne Fisher Staples and Dragon Keeper by Carole Wilkinson. --Jennifer Hubert

Amazon.com's Significant Seven
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni graciously agreed to answer the questions we like to ask every author: the Amazon.com Significant Seven.

Q: What book has had the most significant impact on your life?
A: Two have been equally significant. Where are you going? by Swami Muktananda, and Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now.

Q: You are stranded on a desert island with only one book, one CD, and one DVD--what are they?
A: The book: The Bhagavad Gita. The music: any classical music CD by Ali Akbar Khan. The movie: The Lord of the Rings.

Q: What is the worst lie you've ever told?
A: When my son was little and wouldn't go to sleep, I told him that the red garbage truck would come and get him.

Q: Describe the perfect writing environment.
A: My study, where my computer faces a wall (to minimize outside distractions). On my desk is a dancing Shiva Nataraj, symbol of the cosmic creative principle.

Q: If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?
A: "FOREVER LOVE"

Q: Who is the one person living or dead that you would like to have dinner with?
A: The Dalai Lama, or my spiritual teacher, Swami Muktananda

Q: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
A: To heal the human heart

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is the author of the bestselling novels Queen of Dreams, Mistress of Spices, Sister of My Heart, and The Vine of Desire, and the prizewinning story collections Arranged Flowers and The Unknown Errors of Our Lives. She lives in Houston, Texas.