Diribani has come to the village well to get water for her family's scant meal of curry and rice. She never expected to meet a goddess there. Y... read full description
reviews
Jan 24, 2012
Lady
rated it: 
This was a YA book and I do not recall exactly how I discovered the book but am so glad I did. The cover definitely is catching and the description too.
Toads and Diamonds is a charming retelling of the classic story of two step-sisters (The Fairies by Charles Perrault). Tomlinson makes this book wonderful by creating a strong bond of love and friendship between the two sisters who are a perfect blend of beauty and brains – Diribani is beautiful while Tana is clever. This story is set in so More...
Toads and Diamonds is a charming retelling of the classic story of two step-sisters (The Fairies by Charles Perrault). Tomlinson makes this book wonderful by creating a strong bond of love and friendship between the two sisters who are a perfect blend of beauty and brains – Diribani is beautiful while Tana is clever. This story is set in so More...
Dec 19, 2011
Mary
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This is a delightful multicultural fairy tale-like story set in a fictional India similar to that of the Mughal Empire. Diribani and Tana are stepsisters living with Tana's mother Hiral in reduced circumstances since Diribani's father (Hiral's husband) who was a successful gem trader has died. This is not a wicked stepmother story, though, as all three live harmoniously and genuinely care for each other. One day, Diribani and Tana encounter the goddess Naghali while fetching water from the stepw
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Dec 09, 2011
Kaira
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Diribani lives with her stepmother, Ma Hiral, and her stepsister, Tana in their humble abode, set in their fictional hometown of Gurath. They may suffer economically, but their family is a happy one. One fateful day at the water-well, Diribani has an unexpected encounter with the divine goddess Naghali. Diribani is granted a miraculous gift; delicate blossoms and precious jewels fall from her lips when she does so much as to utter a word. When envious Tana is sent to the well, she is not too sur
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Jul 02, 2011
Maggie
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I read a review of this at Reading in Color awhile back, and I fell in love with the cover! Hennaed hands, a sari, and a lotus? Exactly the kind of colorful, gorgeous cover I'd love to see more of in YA! And considering it's a fairy tale with a twist, how could I go wrong? I think the mythology and setting of other cultures, especially those of Asia, is WAY underutilized in storytelling at large. Avatar: The Last Airbender was such a refreshing steampunk fantasy for me, and while this one w
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Apr 04, 2011
Cherie
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This book started off a little slow for me but eventually picked up. It was interesting to see how each of the two different "blessings" bestowed upon Dribani and Tana by the goddess Naghali-ji affected their lives in different ways. They both learned and grew from the experience.
One thing that really irked me about this book is that so much time is spent developing the relationship between Dribani and Prince Zahid. So much stress was put on the fact that their was littl More...
One thing that really irked me about this book is that so much time is spent developing the relationship between Dribani and Prince Zahid. So much stress was put on the fact that their was littl More...
Dec 28, 2010
Phoebe
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Two sisters, made poor by the recent death of their merchant father, each meet the goddess Naghali at the stepwell, and the goddess blesses each of them quite differently. These mysterious blessings change the lives of the girls forever; and they each learn that things are not what they seem. Diribani is beautiful and talented and her gift is flowers and jewels that drop from her lips at every word she utters. Tana is plainer and hard working, but still good hearted; but her gift is snakes an
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Sep 26, 2010
Nic
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Sep 16, 2010
Minli
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AWESOME IDEA. Toads and Diamonds always seemed like a really unjust fairytale, with a lot of ecological and economic problems to boot. One sister is polite to the faerie/goddess and is in turn granted with a gift: jewels and flowers fall from her mouth every time she speaks. The other sister is rude--well, at least abrasive--and gets snakes and amphibians instead. So the author does some really great things: she tells story from the points of view of sisters who don't hate each other, though the
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Aug 02, 2010
Skedatt
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Jun 11, 2010
Tessa
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May 24, 2010
Kathleen
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I really enjoyed this creative twist on the classic fairytale. The characters were compelling, the setting lush and vivid, and the interactions between the different castes and religions (especially where they intersected) was a very interesting subtext.
What I liked the most:
Tana's intelligence, and Diribani's grace, and how, rather than putting them at odds with one another as siblings, they had the good sense to let their strengths fill in for the weaknesses of the other.
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What I liked the most:
Tana's intelligence, and Diribani's grace, and how, rather than putting them at odds with one another as siblings, they had the good sense to let their strengths fill in for the weaknesses of the other.
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Apr 16, 2011
Valentina
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I couldn’t put this book down. My fingers turned page after page as if enchanted by the same goddess that intervenes in the two heroines’ lives.
This book is a retelling of the fairy tale about two sisters who get singled out by a powerful being who grants one the blessing of speaking flowers and diamonds whenever she utters a word, while the other sister must deal with toads and snakes punctuating each sentence.
The retelling takes place in a small village which the author desc More...
Aug 21, 2010
Treasa
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When their family falls on hard times, stepsisters Diribani and Tana are determined to find a way to stay together in their own house with Tana's mother. But their plans are thwarted when the two girls meet a goddess at the village well and are given gifts: flowers and jewels fall from Diribani's mouth whenever she speaks; snakes and toads fall from Tana's. While Diribani is whisked away by a prince to be kept safe in his palace, Tana is left to live at the village well, where she knows she will
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May 11, 2010
K.
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Tana and Diribali are stepsisters in a small village who both meet up with the goddess Naghali one day and are blessed with the ability to produce things when they speak.
Diribali is blessed with flowers and gems. Tana is blessed with snakes and toads (lucky toads and much-needed ratter snakes in this twist on the original fairy tale.)
Split apart by others' reactions (covetous to Diribali, fear to Tana) to their goddess-given gifts, the two must divine the real reasons the More...
Diribali is blessed with flowers and gems. Tana is blessed with snakes and toads (lucky toads and much-needed ratter snakes in this twist on the original fairy tale.)
Split apart by others' reactions (covetous to Diribali, fear to Tana) to their goddess-given gifts, the two must divine the real reasons the More...
May 08, 2010
Sarah
rated it:
In Toads and Diamonds, Heather Tomlinson has created a novel based on the fairy tale of the same name. Diribani's life has turned upside down since the death of her father, a jewel merchant. She and her stepsister Tana struggle to keep things going while her stepmother has been nearly incapacitated with grief. Diribani and Tana are working with Kalyan, the son of their father's competitor, on appraising some jewels in hopes of securing some livelihood for a little longer.
This plan More...
This plan More...
Aug 15, 2010
Laura
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I've always found the original tale of "Toads and Diamonds" to be rather unsettling, since the "good" option always seemed just as horrifying to me as the bad. This retelling does an excellent job of showing the blurred line between blessings and curses. Stepsisters Tana and Diribani are both great characters to read about. When they encounter the goddess Naghali, Diribani wishes for beauty and receives the gift of speaking flowers and gems, while Tana wishes to protect he
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May 16, 2011
Jamie
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This book retold a new fairy tale for me. Two sisters, one is polite and gets rewarded by having gems and flowers fall from her mouth when she speaks, the other is rude and is rewarded by having toads and snakes fall from her mouth when she speaks. This sort of reminds me of a childrens' book I read when I was younger called "The Talking Eggs" (in which there are two sisters, one who is kind and can follow directions, and is rewarded with riches. The other is rude and greedy, and is at
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May 27, 2011
Camille
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Great book! It was fun and a book I found incredibly hard to put down. The girls were independent and strong, great role models for girls today. They also weren't perfect and the book spent time learning their flaws, which was refreshing. I really enjoyed this book and want to give it 4.5 out of five, though that isn't an option. The only frustration I had was the ending didn't sum everything up. In the middle of the book, there was an issue with loving the prince that wasn't resolved at the end
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Feb 05, 2011
Peggy
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The story line of this book was not strong, but there were a lot of good qualities also. This is the story of 2 stepsisters, each of whom is given a gift from a goddess. When Diribani speaks, flowers and jewels drop from her lips. Tana speaks snakes and toads. As their country is taken over by invaders and their family struggles to survive, the girls learn that both gifts can be either a blessing or a curse. The book teaches several good concepts. A family must stay together and help each
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May 09, 2011
Merle
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I’m rather amazed I’ve never heard of Heather Tomlinson until the Book Smugglers reviewed this book and her other, The Swan Maiden. For all that this book had some problems it was still really well written, and Tomlinson deserves more recognition.
The greatest part about the book was the fact that Diribani and Tana love and admire each other. In the original fairy tale, of course the sisters are polar opposites and the abrasive one hates the perfect one. Tana and Diribani aren’t the More...
The greatest part about the book was the fact that Diribani and Tana love and admire each other. In the original fairy tale, of course the sisters are polar opposites and the abrasive one hates the perfect one. Tana and Diribani aren’t the More...
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Apr 03, 2011
Debrarian
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A very interesting riff off the old fairy tale. In this version, set in an alternate India during the Mughal Empire, sister and step-sister are both blessed by the goddess Naghali-ji, whom they encounter at the community well: from Diribani's mouth come flowers and jewels when she speaks, and from Tana's lips spring the lucky frogs and useful, rat-eating snakes the villagers value so highly. Still, both blessings can be awkward, and the girls follow separate and often difficult paths in the More...
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Nov 16, 2010
MrsB
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I bought this for the middle school because of the beautiful cover, not necessarily as a fairy tale fan. However, I loved it! It was a welcome fanciful break from all of the dystopian fiction I have been reading lately. I could not put it down. First of all, it has two strong female protagonists who are blessed by Naghali, a snake goddess. One step sister speaks flowers and jewels and the other speaks toads and snakes. You would think the second is being punished, but both are gifts. Chap
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Apr 23, 2010
Laura
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jan 01, 2012
Briana
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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
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Feb 03, 2012
Kara
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Tomlinson takes the fairy tale of Diamonds and Toads and moves it to 17th century India and adds in the issues of Muslim-Hindu relations.
Except not.
Her book takes place in a land that is very obviously India, filled with characters who are very obvious from India and Pakistan, worshiping the Hindu gods and the Abrahamic god, fight with each other over this issue, and use all the tools, culture, food, clothes, and architecture of that time and place.
Exce More...
Jun 02, 2010
C.j.
rated it:
This book was lovely.
I won it in the goodreads giveaway, and received it on a day I was dead-down-dragging, depressed and irritable. I glanced at the first bit, and set it down, sure it would disappoint.
But later in the evening I picked it up again.
The story, as well as the characters, are brilliantly woven--in the sense of colour and texture. The world--based on a Middle-East/Indian history--was dense and never over-laden with detail. But what I enjoyed mos More...
I won it in the goodreads giveaway, and received it on a day I was dead-down-dragging, depressed and irritable. I glanced at the first bit, and set it down, sure it would disappoint.
But later in the evening I picked it up again.
The story, as well as the characters, are brilliantly woven--in the sense of colour and texture. The world--based on a Middle-East/Indian history--was dense and never over-laden with detail. But what I enjoyed mos More...
Aug 03, 2010
Elizabeth
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jun 23, 2011
Linnae
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Two sisters find an old woman at a well--a goddess in disguise. One is given a blessing of gems and flowers coming out of her mouth each time she speaks; the other is cursed with frogs and snakes. As they struggle to understand their respective gifts, and deal with the changes the gifts have brought to their lives, each must be strong, brave, and true to herself.
Right up my alley--I've always enjoyed fairy tale retellings. This one was particularly well done. The cultural setting had More...
Right up my alley--I've always enjoyed fairy tale retellings. This one was particularly well done. The cultural setting had More...
Mar 27, 2011
Sarah
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I won this book through the Goodreads giveaway and I was very excited to discover I won it because I love a good story based on a fairy tale. When I received the book in the mail, I began it right away…a sucker for fairy tale and this was a good one! I was familiar with the original tale and love what Tomlinson did and created to make this tale her own.
The India setting created was beautiful. I feel the author did a nice job describing and giving the reader a good sense of the story More...
The India setting created was beautiful. I feel the author did a nice job describing and giving the reader a good sense of the story More...
Dec 14, 2010
Elsa
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A lovely piece of magical realism set in a mythical Indian kingdom. Two sisters, one is outspoken, and honest to a fault, the other sweet, polite, and very beautiful. At a well (I wonder if they exist, they sound like beautiful places), they are confronted by a goddess (that I thought of as Kali, but has a different name) who enchants the girls with special abilities: the honest one a curse: every time she speaks, toads and snakes fall out of her lips. The lovely one speaks flowers and fine je
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