The Iron Ring Lloyd Alexander
Dutton Children's Books 1997
Summary
Set in India, Tamar, king of Sundari is challenged to game of dice by the powerful kind Jaya. He looses and in payment travel to Jaya's kingdom, Mahapura. On the way he meets the king of the monkey's, Hashkat, who loves to make sport of people and stretches the rules, Mirri, a feisty gopi who helps Tamar in more ways than one and many others who befriend Tamar in his journey. The Iron Ring is filled with humor and bravery as Tamar realizes that caste isn't everything, but what you do with your life and the people you can help along life's journey.
Personal Review
I LOVED this book! I honestly couldn't put it down. My 6th grade teacher read it to us, and I was eager to read again. I loved the characters, especially Hashkat. You love him and and shake your head at him at the same time. It's definitely a page turner and worth the read. The part that I enjoyed the most was perhaps when Tamar was taught by the Chandala and everyone else coming to realize that it's not who you were born as, but who you become and what you do with your life that really matters. If you read closely you can find that someone in the book acts a Christ-like figure to some degree.
Cautionary Notes
There is violence, but nothing extremely graphic. (They are fighting a battle). There is also one swear word.
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