When Tangi's father dies, he leaves her nothing but three empty bottles. A kind uncle takes the poverty-stricken girl and her stepsisters in, and for a time life gets better on his farm. But Tangi remains a lonely outsider; her stepsisters tease her for her crippled leg, and the housekeepers use her like a servant.
Just before her thirteenth birthday, Tangi learns the truth about her father's strange legacy: the three bottles aren't empty any more. They're filled with all the tears she's cried since her father died, and her tears are enchanted. She must use them to travel to Rosevine, the world of her dead mother. Tangi not only belongs there but is necessary to keep Rosevine alive.
Tangi's tears will save Rosevine, and Rosevine will save Tangi from a cruelty-filled life, except for one thing: Tangi's lost the bottles.
Excerpt from Tangi's Teardrops:
Two days after Uncle Thomas left, something blunt poked Tangi in the chest. She opened her eyes to see Lisa, standing beside her bed, an oil lamp in her hand. In the dim light, her double chin jutted out even more.
“Get up,” she hissed. “There’s a lot of work to be done.”
Tangi rubbed away the sleep from her eyes. She shook her head in confusion. “What do you mean?”
Lisa threw aside the blanket and goosebumps rose on Tangi’s legs as the cold morning air assailed her. “Your uncle is not here to spoil you. Get dressed and go fetch water. Be back in time to help with breakfast.” Lisa strode out of the hut.
Tangi stared after the trail of light from the lamp until it disappeared out of sight. Her head reeled with confusion. Was Lisa implying that she didn’t do anything around the house? Even though Uncle Thomas had two housekeepers that did the housework, she still did her share. She washed her own clothes, washed the dishes, swept their hut and carried out other chores that didn’t place too much strain on her leg. But never mind; one day couldn’t possibly do that much harm.
Her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Lisa hadn’t woken Nona and Maria. They continued sleeping, unaware of what had just happened. Not that they’d care.
Let them sleep, she thought, and heaved herself out of bed. Since Papa died, it hit her that people didn’t live forever. She had relied so much on her father’s love and care for her, like leaning on a strong, immovable tree trunk. Now she was afraid to depend on anyone, even Uncle Thomas. Being rejected at her new school also fueled her decision to learn to be strong for herself. She would prove to everyone she could do everything that they could. She wouldn’t let her disability be an excuse, wouldn’t give anyone reason to pity her. She’d get the water from the tap and learn to handle the pain in her leg.
Authors Bio
Liz Grace Davis is a Namibian author. She grew up in Angola, Namibia, South Africa and Germany. She now lives with her husband in Vienna, Austria. Growing up, Liz spent most of her days in school libraries, diving into the world of books. In her spare time she loves to travel as well as creating jewelry and digital scrapbooks. She's in her element when she is doing anything that requires creativity. Liz is the author of a young adult fantasy novel, Tangi's Teardrops and a contemporary romance novel, Chocolate Aftertaste.
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this is like a sad book to read your review was really good Blogging Profits Unleashed
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Tana, for hosting Tangi's Teardrops. You're so kind. I hope your friends and followers will enjoy the book. Liz
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