About this item
Highlights
- Notable Social Studies Trade Book, awarded by National Council for the Social Studies and The Children's Book Council Gold Medal, Young Adult Fiction, Independent Press AwardsSilver Medal, Teen Fiction, Benjamin Franklin Awards, Independent Book Publishers AssociationYA Fiction Book Award, Independent Book Publishers of New EnglandIndie Editors Choice, Kirkus Reviews An American kid, in a place he doesn't understand.
- 230 Pages
- Young Adult Fiction, Diversity & Multicultural
Description
About the Book
Luke is an American kid, in a place he doesn't understand.
Book Synopsis
Notable Social Studies Trade Book, awarded by National Council for the Social Studies and The Children's Book Council
Gold Medal, Young Adult Fiction, Independent Press Awards
Silver Medal, Teen Fiction, Benjamin Franklin Awards, Independent Book Publishers Association
YA Fiction Book Award, Independent Book Publishers of New England
Indie Editors Choice, Kirkus Reviews
An American kid, in a place he doesn't understand.
This multicultural thriller for YA and adult readers is about three families across two cultures. It's about the power of music, the impacts of extremism, an ancient true story - and taking the risk, even when it's big, of thinking for yourself.
Luke blames his parents' divorce on his dad's obsession with finishing a book about a lost civilization in a dangerous part of Asia. But his father wants his son to understand, so during a school holiday he brings Luke to Peshawar, the legendary frontier city in northwest Pakistan. Luke refuses to learn anything about his dad's project; instead he's drawn into the strange, intriguing Old City, where a violent new extremism is on the rise. He's dazzled by a rebellious girl, Danisha, but they can't ever be seen together. He's recruited by her brother to assist the jihadis - but he also bonds with Yusuf, an Afghan refugee who knows what could happen. Then there are the musicians Luke befriends, and a warmhearted Sufi teacher who opens his eyes.
This is an adventure book that's about something. Once you start reading, it will grip you till the end.
Review Quotes
"Street of Storytellers is a storytelling delight, following the journey of a teenage American boy into the teeming bazaars of Pakistan and a world of musicians, refugees, scholars and the religious fanatics who will become the followers of Osama bin Laden. The story is rich in detail and suspense. Young Luke, resentful of his father's research project and unwilling to learn about the culture around him, ends up learning more than he could ever have expected." -David Moats, Pulitzer-prize winning journalist
"Street of Storytellers is a vivid and layered novel of family angst, clashing cultures, navigating friendships, first love, and wisdom versus extremism amid frightening political and religious tensions in 1984 Pakistan -- as told by Luke, a 15-year-old American who did not want to be there. Wilhelm skillfully weaves history into dramatic youth fiction that is both a personal story and a perspective on world events today." -Deborah Rodriguez, author of Kabul Beauty School and The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul
"Wilhelm, a former journalist who traveled to Pakistan to interview young people in the 1980s, offers an American teenager's perspective on a pivotal moment in modern world history. Main character Luke explores his own evolving thoughts about
"An entertaining, thoughtful look at a complicated historical, religious, artistic, and cultural crossroads." -Kirkus Reviews