Blessed

Selentra, youngest of three siblings born to a weaver's family living in the dark-forested hills of Kote, suddenly discovers that she has the extraordinary gift the Ancients spoke of.

In her community, girls are not allowed to read or write, and little does Selentra's family know that her astonishing ability, when mastered, could free their gagged country from the wicked Ag-yanees.

All her secret might have earned Selentra was the sullen jealousy of her brother, Dumor - the oh-so unworthy favourite. But her power could prove so huge, so vital and so potent that her ruthless enemies are already poised to strike her down.

Author, poet and translator, Deepa Agarwal has written about fifty books in English and Hindi, mostly for children. She has received many prestigious awards including N.C.E.R.T. National Award For Children’s Literature. Her historical adventure novel, Caravan to Tibet, was selected for the IBBY (International Board On Books For Young People) Honour List 2008 from India and like some of her earlier titles, was listed in the White Raven Catalogue of the International Youth Library, Munich. Her work has appeared in Japanese, Chinese and Korean as well as sixteen Indian languages.