After a storm engulfs his village, a Vietnamese boy has glimmers of a new calling in this spare middle-grade novel written with authenticity and grace.
Every day, Tinh heads out to sea with his father to catch fish for their family and the market. While he may miss his simple life, flying kites with other children on the beach, Tinh is proud to work alongside Ba. Then a fierce storm strikes, and Ba entrusts Tinh to secure the family vessel, but the boy panics and runs away. It will take courage and faith to salvage the bamboo boat, win back Ba’s confidence, and return to sea. This graceful tale lyrically narrates a young Vietnamese boy’s literal and spiritual coming-of-age.
Creators
Carolyn Marsden says that The Buddha's Diamonds was inspired by a talk given by Thây Phâp Niêm to the children of Deer Park Monastery. She lives in La Jolla, California.
Thây Phâp Niêm’s childhood experiences form the basis of The Buddha's Diamonds. A year after the storm depicted in the story, he escaped postwar Vietnam and became a Buddhist monk. All of his royalties will be donated to the Touching and Helping Programs in Vietnam.
