Mother Tongue (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781536202632)

Based on the shocking Beslan school siege in 2004, this is a brave and necessary story about grief, resilience, and finding your voice in the aftermath of tragedy.

On the day she brings her sweet little sister, Nika, to school for the first time, eighteen-year-old Darya has already been taking care of her family for years. But a joyous September morning shifts in an instant when Darya's rural Russian town is attacked by terrorists. While Darya manages to escape, Nika is one of hundreds of children taken hostage in the school in what stretches to a three-day siege and ends in violence. In the confusion and horror that follow, Darya and her family frantically scour hospitals and survivor lists in hopes that Nika has somehow survived. And as journalists and foreign aid workers descend on her small town, Darya is caught in the grip of grief and trauma, trying to recover her life and wondering if there is any hope for her future. From acclaimed author Julie Mayhew comes a difficult but powerful narrative about pain, purpose, and healing in the wake of senseless terror.

Author: Julie Mayhew
ISBN-10: 1536202630
ISBN-13: 9781536202632
Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
Language: English
Published: 08/13/2019
Pages: 304
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.00lbs
Size: 8.80h x 5.40w x 1.20d

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 06/03/2019
Kirkus Reviews 06/15/2019
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 09/01/2019