A Bit of Earth
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โAs timeless as it is timely, A Bit of Earth is a rare gift.โโLaurel Snyder, author of National Book Award nominee Orphan Island
โExtraordinary, poetic, and inventive. A Bit of Earth is such a special book. Prickles and all,ย Maria Latifย captured my whole heart.โโJasmine Warga, author of Newbery Honor book Other Words for Home
โAn ambitious re-envisioning of a long beloved classic, this book is sure to be a big hit.โโPadma Venkatraman, award-winning author of The Bridge Home
โBeautiful! Simply beautiful! My heart needed this!โโEllen Oh, author of Finding Junie Kim
โA sweet and warm-hearted tale with unforgettable characters.โโAisha 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 classicย The Secret Garden,ย perfect for fans ofย Other Words for Homeย andย The Bridge Home.ย
Growing up in Pakistan, Maria Latif has been bounced between reluctant relatives for as long as she can rememberโfirst because of her parentsโ 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 โgive her a better lifeโ 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 Claybornesโ sprawling house. And then Maria finds a locked gate to an off-limits garden. Since sheโs never been good at following rules, Maria decides to investigate and discovers something she never thought sheโd find: a place where she feels at home.
With a prickly main character, a sullen boy, two friendly allies, and a locked garden,ย A Bit of Earthย has everything a reader could want from a retelling ofย The Secret Garden. Karuna Riaziโs evocative prose is interspersed with poetic verses, illuminating each characterโs search for a place they can truly call home. This tender yet incisive reimagining of a classic work will captivate fans of the originalโand widen the appeal for a modern audience.
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Karuna Riazi is the author of the acclaimed A Bit of Earth as well as the duology The Gauntlet and The Battle. She holds a BA in English literature from Hofstra University and an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Hamline University. She is an online diversity advocate and an educator, and her work has been featured in Entertainment Weekly, Shondaland, and Teen Vogue, among others. A born-and-raised New Yorker, Karuna Riazi lives on Long Island.
