When I started reading Trouble in the Tea Gardens by Mitali Perkins, I was struck by how similar several elements were to Tiger Boy. An intelligent small-town child capable of winning a scholarship to get a better education, a teacher with the child’s best interests at heart, a power-hungry, avaricious person in authority … I wondered if I was going to enjoy another story that followed the same lines. But soon enough, I realised that the similarities end there. The mystery in Trouble in the Tea Gardens is gripping, and I love how everything ties up as the story goes on. A pacy read, I was soon thoroughly invested in the characters, eager to know how the story would play out.Set in Darjeeling, Trouble in the Tea Gardens is a slim book weaves together a range of serious themes with subtlety and nuance. The protagonist Sona is the daughter of a Nepali tea plantation worker. … [Read more...]