What do you think?
Rate this book
A Bit of Earth
"Karuna Riazi has a way with words. This story will find its way into your heart." --Tae Keller, Newbery Medalist for When You Trap a Tiger "As timeless as it is timely, A Bit of Earth is a rare gift." --Laurel Snyder, author of National Book Award nominee Orphan Island "Extraordinary, poetic, and inventive. A Bit of Earth is such a special book. Prickles and all, Maria Latif captured my whole heart." --Jasmine Warga, author of Newbery Honor book Other Words for Home "An ambitious re-envisioning of a long beloved classic, this book is sure to be a big hit." --Padma Venkatraman, award-winning author of The Bridge Home "Beautiful! Simply beautiful! My heart needed this!" --Ellen Oh, author of Finding Junie Kim "A sweet and warm-hearted tale with unforgettable characters." --Aisha Saeed, bestselling author of Amal Unbound Maria Latif is used to not having a space of her own. But what happens when she feels the sudden urge to put down roots in the most unexpected of places? Karuna Riazi crafts a tender coming-of-age story about friendship, family, and new beginnings. A Bit of Earth is a reimagining of the classic The Secret Garden, perfect for fans of Other Words for Home and The Bridge Home . Growing up in Pakistan, Maria Latif has been bounced between reluctant relatives for as long as she can remember--first because of her parents' constant travel, and then because of their deaths. Maria has always been a difficult child, and it never takes long for her guardians to tire of her. So when old friends of her parents offer to "give her a better life" in the United States, Maria is shipped to a host family across the world. When Maria arrives on Long Island, things are not quite what she was expecting. Mr. Clayborne has left on an extended business trip, Mrs. Clayborne seems emotionally fraught, and inexplicable things keep happening in the Claybornes' sprawling house. And then Maria finds a locked gate to an off-limits garden. Since she's never been good at following rules, Maria decides to investigate and discovers something she never thought she'd a place where she feels at home. With a prickly main character, a sullen boy, two friendly allies, and a locked garden, A Bit of Earth has everything a reader could want from a retelling of The Secret Garden . Karuna Riazi's evocative prose is interspersed with poetic verses, illuminating each character's search for a place they can truly call home. This tender yet incisive reimagining of a classic work will captivate fans of the original--and widen the appeal for a modern audience.
433 pages, Library Binding
First published March 14, 2023
17 people are currently reading
4195 people want to read
About the author
Karuna Riazi
16 books178 followersKaruna Riazi is a born and raised New Yorker, with a loving, large extended family and the rather trying experience of being the eldest sibling in her particular clan. She holds a BA in English Literature from Hofstra University, and is an online diversity advocate, blogger, and educator. She is a 2017 honoree on NBC Asian America's Redefining A-Z list, featuring up and coming talent within the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community, and her work has been featured on Entertainment Weekly, Amy Poehler's Smart Girls, Book Riot and Teen Vogue, among others.
Karuna is fond of tea, Korean dramas, writing about tough girls forging their own paths toward their destinies, and baking new delectable treats for friends and family to relish.
The Gauntlet (S&S/Salaam Reads, March 28, 2017) is her middle grade debut, with a companion, The Battle (August 2019). Her next title is A Bit of Earth, forthcoming from Greenwillow Books in 2022. She has also adapted The Jungle Book for the Apple TV series Ghostwriter (Sourcebooks/Sesame Workshop, 2019).
Karuna is fond of tea, Korean dramas, writing about tough girls forging their own paths toward their destinies, and baking new delectable treats for friends and family to relish.
The Gauntlet (S&S/Salaam Reads, March 28, 2017) is her middle grade debut, with a companion, The Battle (August 2019). Her next title is A Bit of Earth, forthcoming from Greenwillow Books in 2022. She has also adapted The Jungle Book for the Apple TV series Ghostwriter (Sourcebooks/Sesame Workshop, 2019).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
August 14, 2024
3.25 stars
A Bit of Earth is a Secret Garden retelling and it was a cute middle grade book. There was nothing wrong with it, unfortunately I just had trouble connecting/engaging with the book.
A Bit of Earth is a Secret Garden retelling and it was a cute middle grade book. There was nothing wrong with it, unfortunately I just had trouble connecting/engaging with the book.
Audio book source:
Story Rating: 3.25 stars
Narrators: Subhadra Newton
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Middle Grade
Length: 6h 47m
Want to read
August 21, 202120.08.2021 a mg desi-centric retelling of the secret garden with biracial rep—yes.
Want to read
January 22, 2022-Desi rep
-Muslim MC
-Activism rep
-Biracial rep
AHHH my desi muslim heart is crying happy tears!!
-Muslim MC
-Activism rep
-Biracial rep
AHHH my desi muslim heart is crying happy tears!!
May 28, 2023
I can tell from this well-crafted story how much the author must love the original “Secret Garden.” This was an excellent modernization of that first great children’s classic from the early 1900’s. The former teacher in me kept thinking, “Wow, this would work well for a Venn Diagram activity in a classroom!”
August 14, 2024
3.25 stars
Want to read
September 7, 2021- Contemporary retelling of The Secret Garden
- Told in a hybrid of verse and prose
- starring a rebellious girl of Bangladeshi and Pakistani descent who finds herself shipped to Long Island after losing her activist parents
yes please
- Told in a hybrid of verse and prose
- starring a rebellious girl of Bangladeshi and Pakistani descent who finds herself shipped to Long Island after losing her activist parents
yes please
February 6, 2023
This Secret Garden retelling mixes the heart of the original with a dash of modernity, the flavor of desi culture, and the lyricism of a good writer. Over 368 pages the slow plot but rich imagery will draw readers in, hold their attention, and leave them thinking about the characters they have been fortunate to spend time with on Long Island. Islam is practiced and normalized and naturally woven into the Muslim characters' daily lives without othering or over explaining. I did struggle a bit trying to keep the relationships of who was supposed to be caring for the protagonist at various points since her parent's died clear, but once I abandoned stressing about it I was able to be swept away. I recently reread The Secret Garden with my own children and the original is not plot heavy, nor action packed, but I watched as my own children were drawn to the slower, more grounded (pun intended) nuanced tale, and I think this book, in the same vein, will find its way in to the hearts of middle grade readers. The book is clean, there is a possible crush hinted very slightly at the end, periods are also endured, and I do have reservations of the terrible marital relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Clayborne, but it establishes that change will occur, so at least it isn't normalized. There are sprinkles of magic implied regarding the house, but it is always framed without clarity and in a subtle way to set the tone and the emotions the characters are feeling more than centralizing something rooted (see I did it again) in fantasy.
SYNOPSIS:
The book updates and mirrors the original fairly well with an obstinate orphan arriving at a sprawling house, finding a prickly boy, and setting off to form a tentative toleration of one another with friendly neighbor kids in a garden that is unquestionably off limits.
Maria Latif arrives from Pakistan against her will to be taken in by a distant relative (I'm not sure how she is related), but Asra has been called away and she is forced to stay with Lyndsay, the new wife of Mr. Clayborne. The first wife was a friend of Maria's family, but Lyndsay is just as emotionally overwhelmed and lost as the child in her charge. With Mr. Clayborne away on businesses, his mother Charlotte keeps them all on edge. When Colin Clayborne is expelled and returns home, more tension erupts and the two children find themselves in an off limits garden trying to make the most of a difficult situation.
WHY I LIKE IT:
I love the mix of poetry and standard novel format. It is beautifully written and clearly the author does a remarkable job of making her very unlikeable characters worm their way in to the reader's heart. Both Maria and Colin are thorny and difficult, stubborn and rude, but you seriously cheer for them, and I did shed a few tears at the end. With the author's writing ability apparent, I'm still not sure why the foundation of the relationships and getting Maria to the Clayborne home is so cumbersome. It is too muddled and it drags the book down every time it is revisited. The Dadi having the aunt's phone number was too easy, the inconsistency of the neighbors having no relationship to the Clayborne's for so long and Lyndsay not even pausing to think another Bangladeshi family living a few houses down might be my husband's first wife's friends, seems inconsistent. Honestly Lyndsey in general needed to read like a competent woman struggling, not a teenager in over her head. I disliked her and Mr. Clayborne's relationship and I would hate to think any reader would find it ok or normal.
I love the Islam and how it presents when the character has to pray, she goes and prays, it is part of the story and it is seamless. I don't think the culture is handled quite as well. Lyndsay is a foot writer who is always cooking, yet knows nothing of desi foods? If Colin's mom is desi, wouldn't she at some point tried to cook familiar foods for him. Half the neighborhood is Bangledeshi, so it seems everyone has a parent or step parent or distant relative that is desi and I loved the normalizing, but it seemed a bit assuming. I don't think kids will wish it was more clear, but as an adult reading it, I felt like it needed to be interjected more without explanation, or if left as is, adding some context. I also wanted to know what Maria's parents did and a little introspection from Maria. Again as an adult I see how her anger and grief changes how she remembers them, but from them always being away, to such soft poignant memories at the end, I think kids will need a little hand holding to understand the grief process and her understanding of them. As it is, they just seem terrible and then all of the sudden great, and the pacing gets thrown off in the process.
FLAGS:
It seems to hint at the end that Maria might have a bit of a crush on Colin, I honestly thought up until a single line that they were making a chosen family with the people who cared for them, but that line seemed to suggest it might be more of a romantic feeling than friend or brotherly. I read an early copy, so this is subject to change.
Maria gets her period and it is detailed what she is feeling. I think boys and girls can and should read it. It is presented on age and appropriately: cramps, achy, dry about blood leakage, having it start young like her mother, etc..
Implied magic (possibly), music and musical instruments being played, milaad, lying, sneaking, being kicked out of school for physical assault, close male and female friendships, ADHD stigma.
TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION
I think this book would work in a classroom and would appeal to readers in an Islamic or public library. I would consider it for a middle school book club, I think readers will connect and feel empathy for Maria, Colin, and Lyndsay and be better for it.
I preordered my copy and I hope you will do the same
SYNOPSIS:
The book updates and mirrors the original fairly well with an obstinate orphan arriving at a sprawling house, finding a prickly boy, and setting off to form a tentative toleration of one another with friendly neighbor kids in a garden that is unquestionably off limits.
Maria Latif arrives from Pakistan against her will to be taken in by a distant relative (I'm not sure how she is related), but Asra has been called away and she is forced to stay with Lyndsay, the new wife of Mr. Clayborne. The first wife was a friend of Maria's family, but Lyndsay is just as emotionally overwhelmed and lost as the child in her charge. With Mr. Clayborne away on businesses, his mother Charlotte keeps them all on edge. When Colin Clayborne is expelled and returns home, more tension erupts and the two children find themselves in an off limits garden trying to make the most of a difficult situation.
WHY I LIKE IT:
I love the mix of poetry and standard novel format. It is beautifully written and clearly the author does a remarkable job of making her very unlikeable characters worm their way in to the reader's heart. Both Maria and Colin are thorny and difficult, stubborn and rude, but you seriously cheer for them, and I did shed a few tears at the end. With the author's writing ability apparent, I'm still not sure why the foundation of the relationships and getting Maria to the Clayborne home is so cumbersome. It is too muddled and it drags the book down every time it is revisited. The Dadi having the aunt's phone number was too easy, the inconsistency of the neighbors having no relationship to the Clayborne's for so long and Lyndsay not even pausing to think another Bangladeshi family living a few houses down might be my husband's first wife's friends, seems inconsistent. Honestly Lyndsey in general needed to read like a competent woman struggling, not a teenager in over her head. I disliked her and Mr. Clayborne's relationship and I would hate to think any reader would find it ok or normal.
I love the Islam and how it presents when the character has to pray, she goes and prays, it is part of the story and it is seamless. I don't think the culture is handled quite as well. Lyndsay is a foot writer who is always cooking, yet knows nothing of desi foods? If Colin's mom is desi, wouldn't she at some point tried to cook familiar foods for him. Half the neighborhood is Bangledeshi, so it seems everyone has a parent or step parent or distant relative that is desi and I loved the normalizing, but it seemed a bit assuming. I don't think kids will wish it was more clear, but as an adult reading it, I felt like it needed to be interjected more without explanation, or if left as is, adding some context. I also wanted to know what Maria's parents did and a little introspection from Maria. Again as an adult I see how her anger and grief changes how she remembers them, but from them always being away, to such soft poignant memories at the end, I think kids will need a little hand holding to understand the grief process and her understanding of them. As it is, they just seem terrible and then all of the sudden great, and the pacing gets thrown off in the process.
FLAGS:
It seems to hint at the end that Maria might have a bit of a crush on Colin, I honestly thought up until a single line that they were making a chosen family with the people who cared for them, but that line seemed to suggest it might be more of a romantic feeling than friend or brotherly. I read an early copy, so this is subject to change.
Maria gets her period and it is detailed what she is feeling. I think boys and girls can and should read it. It is presented on age and appropriately: cramps, achy, dry about blood leakage, having it start young like her mother, etc..
Implied magic (possibly), music and musical instruments being played, milaad, lying, sneaking, being kicked out of school for physical assault, close male and female friendships, ADHD stigma.
TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION
I think this book would work in a classroom and would appeal to readers in an Islamic or public library. I would consider it for a middle school book club, I think readers will connect and feel empathy for Maria, Colin, and Lyndsay and be better for it.
I preordered my copy and I hope you will do the same
April 11, 2023
A tender and lyrical middle grade novel retelling of The secret garden featuring a young Muslim girl from Pakistan who has tragically lost her parents. Full of the healing power of plants, new friendships and South Asian culture, this was a great debut and a really well executed reimaging of a beloved classic. Great on audio narrated by Subhadra Newton. Highly recommended!
March 14, 2023
thank you to the author for the arc.
this was a cute and easy middle grade read! i wish there was a little more character development and i wasn’t as engaged as i’d like to have been but overall this was really enjoyable and i know i would have adored this as a kid :)
this was a cute and easy middle grade read! i wish there was a little more character development and i wasn’t as engaged as i’d like to have been but overall this was really enjoyable and i know i would have adored this as a kid :)
Read
January 14, 2023Faithful to the spirit of The Secret Garden, but thoroughly and lyrically reimagined, Riazi manages to make us sympathetic to and ultimately fall in love with her own “prickly” characters.
Read
January 5, 2023Holding my review in solidarity with HarperCollins Union employees on strike. Review will be posted when they have a fair deal.
April 12, 2023
What a sweet, modern middle grade retelling of The Secret Garden!
(Though Charlotte’s micro-aggressions were brushed off a little too easily.)
(Though Charlotte’s micro-aggressions were brushed off a little too easily.)
October 17, 2022
You don’t have to have read The Secret Garden, the book that it is based on. Of course, if you *do* know the original story, this book is just that much sweeter, as it tackles things that were confusing in the original book, or didn’t make sense to the modern reader.
The Secret Garden is a classic, written over a hundred years ago, telling the story of Mary, whose parents have both died, and how she is shipped from British India, to the cold of England, to live with a distant uncle.
In A Bit of Earth, Karuna Riazi takes the basic story, telling how Maria Latif is taken from where she lives in Pakistan, after her parents died, to live with a family friend.
From there, we have the basic story, but with the twist that instead of making friends with servants, Maria makes friends with other children in the neighborhood. And rather then having Colin be an invalid, he just has ADHD, and doens’t want his father to know.
I love how the things that happen make sense. I love how the smells and tastes are so important to Maria. And I love how Maria is prickly because that is how she has survived so far, and when she finds the garden, she is bound and determined to make things alive there, to get them to grow, and doesn’t mind if Colin and her other friends help her with that.
Secrets are kept, of course, but just long enough, before things are exposed. And the parents are understanding, after they get used to the idea. Everyone is very human.
Oh, so highly recommended. No holds barred. I felt so happy reading the story that I didn’t want it to end, and yet, I wanted to find out how it would end, even though I knew how the original one went.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
The Secret Garden is a classic, written over a hundred years ago, telling the story of Mary, whose parents have both died, and how she is shipped from British India, to the cold of England, to live with a distant uncle.
In A Bit of Earth, Karuna Riazi takes the basic story, telling how Maria Latif is taken from where she lives in Pakistan, after her parents died, to live with a family friend.
From there, we have the basic story, but with the twist that instead of making friends with servants, Maria makes friends with other children in the neighborhood. And rather then having Colin be an invalid, he just has ADHD, and doens’t want his father to know.
I love how the things that happen make sense. I love how the smells and tastes are so important to Maria. And I love how Maria is prickly because that is how she has survived so far, and when she finds the garden, she is bound and determined to make things alive there, to get them to grow, and doesn’t mind if Colin and her other friends help her with that.
Secrets are kept, of course, but just long enough, before things are exposed. And the parents are understanding, after they get used to the idea. Everyone is very human.
Oh, so highly recommended. No holds barred. I felt so happy reading the story that I didn’t want it to end, and yet, I wanted to find out how it would end, even though I knew how the original one went.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
June 22, 2023
Middle Grade novel, blend of prose and verse, retelling of The Secret Garden in which the Mary character Maria is Kashmiri and is relocated to Long Island. Maria captures everything that is great about the character of Mary Lennox, and the adaptation overcomes the original's colonialist issues. The verse chapters are poignant and evocative. Very worth picking up if you loved the original and/or work with MG kiddos.
July 21, 2022
Omygoodness this book just has my WHOLE HEART and left me in tears!! Y’all need this book!🥹❤️❤️
Genre: Upper MG
Ages: 11/12 and up (im an adult and obsessed🥳)
PREORDER before the March 2023 release day- preorders help authors!!
Screening: mentions of a period, and brief mention of violin/rabab (I consider it perfectly clean for the age group!)
Maria Latif’s parents have died, and she is shipped from home to home- most caretakers complaining of her surly grumpiness. When she lands with her parents’ friends in New York, she expects it’s just going to be another disappointment. But she discovers a secret garden in the yard that brings her and some friends together. Can the bit of earth she found bring her the family she deeply yearns for?
From the moment I began reading this book, I fell in love. Grumpy Maria is SO amazingly real, and it is so refreshing to read about a character with complex emotions and strength that truly feels so accurate for a tween portrayal! I loved her and rooted for her the whole book and by the end I was in tears and just wanted to reach through the pages and hug her!
I loved the theme of found family in the book- and how family isn’t always those by blood, but can often be love from friends and strangers that feels the most like family!
Omygosh all the Bengali and Desi references, cultural aspects like mendhi and dress, and the beautiful descriptions of flowers and food just warmed my heart! I love how Maria is proud of her culture and treasures it!
Islam is mentioned a lot, with Maria wearing hijab/dupatta, and praying her prayers! I loved the way it was part of her identity and not preached or brushed off in any way, just existing as her identity❤️
The writing of this book is as GORGEOUS as a flower- and the verse and prose alternating worked so well to move my heart!
This book deserves all the stars and awards!!! Def a must have, and one I will be recommending to all my ELA middle school students❤️
Genre: Upper MG
Ages: 11/12 and up (im an adult and obsessed🥳)
PREORDER before the March 2023 release day- preorders help authors!!
Screening: mentions of a period, and brief mention of violin/rabab (I consider it perfectly clean for the age group!)
Maria Latif’s parents have died, and she is shipped from home to home- most caretakers complaining of her surly grumpiness. When she lands with her parents’ friends in New York, she expects it’s just going to be another disappointment. But she discovers a secret garden in the yard that brings her and some friends together. Can the bit of earth she found bring her the family she deeply yearns for?
From the moment I began reading this book, I fell in love. Grumpy Maria is SO amazingly real, and it is so refreshing to read about a character with complex emotions and strength that truly feels so accurate for a tween portrayal! I loved her and rooted for her the whole book and by the end I was in tears and just wanted to reach through the pages and hug her!
I loved the theme of found family in the book- and how family isn’t always those by blood, but can often be love from friends and strangers that feels the most like family!
Omygosh all the Bengali and Desi references, cultural aspects like mendhi and dress, and the beautiful descriptions of flowers and food just warmed my heart! I love how Maria is proud of her culture and treasures it!
Islam is mentioned a lot, with Maria wearing hijab/dupatta, and praying her prayers! I loved the way it was part of her identity and not preached or brushed off in any way, just existing as her identity❤️
The writing of this book is as GORGEOUS as a flower- and the verse and prose alternating worked so well to move my heart!
This book deserves all the stars and awards!!! Def a must have, and one I will be recommending to all my ELA middle school students❤️
March 7, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
"A Bit of Earth" by Karuna Riazi is a refreshing retelling of "The Secret Garden" about an "unpleasant" orphan that relishes in being "unpleasant." Maria Latif has been recently orphaned and passed around between family members ever since. Finally reaching their wits ends, the rebellious and troublemaking Maria is sent across the ocean to be taken in by friends of the family. When she arrives though, the house and the people within it are withdrawn. Life has been completely sucked out of the place; and a garden, which Maria is mysteriously drawn to, is padlocked... which could only mean that there is something that someone doesn't want to be found behind it. With nothing else to do and a penchant for sticking her nose where it doesn't belong, Maria makes her mission to discover what's inside no matter the consequences.
This book revolves around themes of displacement, abandonment, grief, prejudice, family pressures, identity, friendship, belonging, and more. The MC is a Bangladeshi/Pakistani Muslim and there is another character that is revealed to have ADHD.
Now, I have not read "The Secret Garden" and, thus, cannot attest to how the retelling holds up in that regard. However, "A Bit of Earth" stands strongly on its own. Maria Latif is prickly, stubborn, and makes sure that she never gets close to anyone by pushing them away first. I have said it before, and I have said it again: I have a fondness for "unlikeable" MCs. When they're handled with care and consideration, authors are able to bring so much depth and move beyond misogynistic stereotypes. Maria Latif is one of those well-crafted characters and I'm so thankful for it because difficult little girls deserve to see themselves represented too instead of being demonized and used as a typical bully trope. They deserve to be the heroes in their own stories. They deserve kindness and understanding, even when they're at their worst. They deserve a book like this.
"A Bit of Earth" by Karuna Riazi is a refreshing retelling of "The Secret Garden" about an "unpleasant" orphan that relishes in being "unpleasant." Maria Latif has been recently orphaned and passed around between family members ever since. Finally reaching their wits ends, the rebellious and troublemaking Maria is sent across the ocean to be taken in by friends of the family. When she arrives though, the house and the people within it are withdrawn. Life has been completely sucked out of the place; and a garden, which Maria is mysteriously drawn to, is padlocked... which could only mean that there is something that someone doesn't want to be found behind it. With nothing else to do and a penchant for sticking her nose where it doesn't belong, Maria makes her mission to discover what's inside no matter the consequences.
This book revolves around themes of displacement, abandonment, grief, prejudice, family pressures, identity, friendship, belonging, and more. The MC is a Bangladeshi/Pakistani Muslim and there is another character that is revealed to have ADHD.
Now, I have not read "The Secret Garden" and, thus, cannot attest to how the retelling holds up in that regard. However, "A Bit of Earth" stands strongly on its own. Maria Latif is prickly, stubborn, and makes sure that she never gets close to anyone by pushing them away first. I have said it before, and I have said it again: I have a fondness for "unlikeable" MCs. When they're handled with care and consideration, authors are able to bring so much depth and move beyond misogynistic stereotypes. Maria Latif is one of those well-crafted characters and I'm so thankful for it because difficult little girls deserve to see themselves represented too instead of being demonized and used as a typical bully trope. They deserve to be the heroes in their own stories. They deserve kindness and understanding, even when they're at their worst. They deserve a book like this.
March 6, 2024
Maria is passed to person to person after her parents are killed. So now she has to move to America with a family friend. There she stays with the wife of the friend and her mother-in-law. Bored she loves the garden and asked to plant her own garden. She gets permission but is told to stay out of the main garden, which she decides not too. Together with the 2 neighbor children and the son of the house they plant the garden and soon Maria starts to feel at home I’m the first time of her life, but when she is discovered will they ship her off again, or does Maria finally find a home??
A wonderful story of loss and friendship. I loved the wife of the home and of course her friends. A wonderful story for young and old alike and I would definitely recommend it!!
A wonderful story of loss and friendship. I loved the wife of the home and of course her friends. A wonderful story for young and old alike and I would definitely recommend it!!
September 1, 2022
The Secret Garden is one of a couple of classics that I read more times than I can count as a child. I was absolutely delighted to find that A Bit of Earth is just as magical of a story with a fresh perspective. It's a book I can easily see myself going back to as a comfort reread.
CW: past parent deaths, racism
CW: past parent deaths, racism
January 5, 2023
A modern retelling of The Secret Garden that embraces a Muslim protagonist. Maria is prickly and quick to admit that about herself and is sure that is the reason she is bounced from family member to family member to eventually, friends of the family, after the death of her parents. In the end, she is accepted just as she is - prickles and all. A Bit of Earth is a sweet middle grades story.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC of this title.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC of this title.
July 15, 2023
This book WRECKED me. I loved THE SECRET GARDEN as a kid -- going to annual performances at our Mpls Children's Theatre of it -- and re-reading over and over and over.
I didn't like the way spoiled Mary Lennox acted about her life in India but I didn't grok the entire history.
I really want Karuna Riazi's story to be the one that is put on annually in children's theatres.
What an absolutely perfect book.
I didn't like the way spoiled Mary Lennox acted about her life in India but I didn't grok the entire history.
I really want Karuna Riazi's story to be the one that is put on annually in children's theatres.
What an absolutely perfect book.
July 25, 2023
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. There's at least one character whose arc I think we needed more set up for, but tbh I don't really care lol.
Wonderful characterization, themes, relationship development, writing, and blending of prose and verse.
CW: Grief, ableism, colorism, microaggressions, emotional neglect
Wonderful characterization, themes, relationship development, writing, and blending of prose and verse.
CW: Grief, ableism, colorism, microaggressions, emotional neglect
November 24, 2023
The main character in this story is very relatable--a self-described and oft-proved prickly person. She goes her own way and refuses to allow her opinions to go unnoted, especially by adults, but also by her peers. As she is shuffled from home to home, she finally finds a place to belong, she finally discovers a bit of earth that she can call her own, and in the process, changes the earth, herself, and those around her for the better. I really enjoyed this book. The only reason I did not rate it higher was that I thought the supporting characters changed a bit too suddenly and easily to be realistic. However, this is a book I would read again.
December 31, 2022
Lyrical and soulful in both prose and verse, ‘A Bit of Earth’ is the rare story retelling that understands its themes more so than its predecessor. (And that’s high praise, coming from someone who owns 60+ copies of - and rereads annually - The Secret Garden!)
March 21, 2023
I enjoyed this retelling of The Secret Garden. A lovely contemporary retelling with a Pakistani/Bangladeshi main character and a locked up garden she brings back to life, that will enchant you with its verse/prose and keep you reading chapter after chapter.
January 1, 2023
Feliz año nuevo <3
Por cierto es un libro muy tierno me gusto mucho pero difinitivame lo hubiera disfrutado más si no lo hubiera pausado tanto
Por cierto es un libro muy tierno me gusto mucho pero difinitivame lo hubiera disfrutado más si no lo hubiera pausado tanto
August 3, 2023
3.5
Also Goodreads? Would love a half star option.
Also Goodreads? Would love a half star option.
July 16, 2022
I will be the first to say that "The Secret Garden" was one of my absolute least favorite 'classic' children's literature, so all the more praise for Riazi for doing such wonders with the source material that I fell instantly in love with her retelling.
The magical, lyrical way in which the author speaks about emotions - about the power and validity of feeling 'prickly' - is so true and authentic. The ways in which the main character Maria battles against the feelings of others by hiding her own feelings from herself was such a wonderful arc to watch slowly unveil to a beautiful, tearful, standing-up-and-clapping conclusion.
The glimpses into Desi culture were so beautiful and tender and incredible - not just recalling the tastes and smells of foods and drinks (I had to google how to make a noon chai based on the incredibly tantalizing descriptions but also the powerful notes of emotional connection!) - but the ways in which Riazi talks about the families - the frustrating, but the caring - and how conflicting feelings are both valid even as they fight against one another. It made me yearn for family time so so so keenly.
This is a book that would hurt you to miss out on. Cannot recommend it enough.
The magical, lyrical way in which the author speaks about emotions - about the power and validity of feeling 'prickly' - is so true and authentic. The ways in which the main character Maria battles against the feelings of others by hiding her own feelings from herself was such a wonderful arc to watch slowly unveil to a beautiful, tearful, standing-up-and-clapping conclusion.
The glimpses into Desi culture were so beautiful and tender and incredible - not just recalling the tastes and smells of foods and drinks (I had to google how to make a noon chai based on the incredibly tantalizing descriptions but also the powerful notes of emotional connection!) - but the ways in which Riazi talks about the families - the frustrating, but the caring - and how conflicting feelings are both valid even as they fight against one another. It made me yearn for family time so so so keenly.
This is a book that would hurt you to miss out on. Cannot recommend it enough.
Read
February 16, 2023Thank you to the author and publisher for an eARC of A BIT OF EARTH (release date is March 14th.)
I love reading a reimagining of a classic, and although A BIT OF EARTH's fresh take on THE SECRET GARDEN will appeal to those who love the original, I felt there was more depth to this story. Maria is sent to the United States to live with her parents' friends after being bounced around between family members following their deaths. Her prickly disposition makes it difficult for others to accept her and for Maria to feel like she belongs anywhere. She discovers a locked and abandoned garden in the backyard of the home in which she's staying, but her desire to revive it forces her to connect with two neighbourhood kids and a testy teen that challenge her beliefs about setting down roots. It's unusual to see a story through the eyes of a character that many will consider very unlikeable, but the author's letter at the beginning of the book set me up to read with compassion and understanding, which led to a uniquely enjoyable reading experience.
I love reading a reimagining of a classic, and although A BIT OF EARTH's fresh take on THE SECRET GARDEN will appeal to those who love the original, I felt there was more depth to this story. Maria is sent to the United States to live with her parents' friends after being bounced around between family members following their deaths. Her prickly disposition makes it difficult for others to accept her and for Maria to feel like she belongs anywhere. She discovers a locked and abandoned garden in the backyard of the home in which she's staying, but her desire to revive it forces her to connect with two neighbourhood kids and a testy teen that challenge her beliefs about setting down roots. It's unusual to see a story through the eyes of a character that many will consider very unlikeable, but the author's letter at the beginning of the book set me up to read with compassion and understanding, which led to a uniquely enjoyable reading experience.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews