#568 - Muniya’s Quest

by Mandira Shah

“Muniya’s Quest” by Mandira Shah. Published by Talking Cub, the children’s imprint of Speaking Tiger. A heartwarming story of twelve year old Muniya who is determined to find her true identity by seeking out her birth family from which she got separated as a baby.

Muniya is a feisty girl who loves planning everything that she is going to do. Even the quest for her birth family has been meticulously planned by her. Her abbu who she thought was her father had found her as an abandoned baby in a train. The only clue that she has regarding her identity is a worn out hospital bracelet that has a name of a hospital in the village of Vishnupur and a number. She has to find out why she was abandoned and who her parents are. She embarks on the journey of a lifetime when she sets out to Vishnupur leaving behind a letter for her abbu.

Muniya unexpectedly finds friends in Gopi who loves creating gadgets and talkative Aaliya who loves to rescue animals. The trio find out that Muniya’s mother was not from Vishnupur and no one in the hospital has a clue about her identity. The only information that they have in their documents is a mention of Manik Ghosh who brought her there. The children are now faced with a new challenge of finding this mysterious person who may have answers to their questions. Travelling by bus and train through the rustic countryside, the children have a wide variety of encounters and experiences ranging from a rogue magician to ruthless poachers to a small time thief not to forget a pangolin in distress. Will they be able to trace Manik Ghosh and find Muniya’s parents? Can they save the pangolin from the poachers? Read the highly entertaining book to go on a quest with Munia and find out what lies in store for her.

Right from the prologue, my 10.5 year old son and I were hooked to the book. The fast paced story filled with adventures and twists ensured that the book couldn’t be put down. We found the characters of Muniya, Gopi and Aaliya quite endearing. Each of their personalities dotted with quirky traits have been portrayed well. Unexpected connections, friendship, mischief, love, determination and heartwarming moments are some of the highlights of this utterly delightful story. The narrative gave us a beautiful glimpse into life in rural Bengal. The themes of finding identity and conservation of endangered wildlife have been skilfully interwoven in the plot.

Muniya overcoming her fears and shedding her inhibitions while trying to make sense of all the uncertainties and unexpected truths that she has to face was so touching. It was so heartening to see her experience friendship for the first time in her life in such an unexpected way. We cheered for Muniya and her new friends as they went on facing adventures and doing what their heart felt was right. We felt a sense of closure ourselves as we reached the end of the quest. Though it wasn’t what Muniya might have expected it to be, life would never be the same again for her. Overall the story has been so memorable for us with its fair dose of hope, love, humour and entertainment.

Recommended Age

The book is apt for children aged 10 and above.

Where to buy from?

The publishers Talking Cub here.

Disclaimer - We received this book from the publisher, Talking Cub, for review. Thank you to the folks at Talking Cub, for sending across the book!