Uido lives in a village on one of the Andaman Islands in the Pacific Ocean, where her people follow a centuries-old way of life—aware of the modern world but unchanged by it. Lah-ame, their spiritual guide and healer, knows that the tribe is facing great challenges, and he chooses Uido, who’s had dreams in which she visits the Otherworld most of her life, as his apprentice. As she goes through her training, Uido begins to gain the strength and courage she’ll need to help lead her tribe. Uido must provide that leadership sooner than she expected after Lah-ame dies and her younger brother falls ill. She makes the decision to seek help in the outside world after spiritual healing alone does not work. And when she returns, she faces her biggest challenge yet: She has a vision of a great wave wiping out the village and of the need to lead her people to high ground, but some refuse to follow. Author Padma Venkatraman lived for a year on one of the Andaman Islands close to people like Uido’s tribe. Her respectful, compelling story captures the way magical elements in the spirit world are very real to Uido and her people. Venkatraman also presents Western culture as different rather than bad, although Uido’s foray into the modern world shows her the importance of her people not losing their spiritual beliefs and values as they are exposed to other ways. Venkatraman’s terrific author’s note discusses the reasons she chose to create a fictional tribe that is a composite of the Andaman groups remaining and the challenges they face in this unusual glimpse into a world we rarely see. (Ages 12–15)

From the acclaimed author of Climbing the Stairs comes a fascinating story set on a remote island untouched by time. Uido is ecstatic about becoming her tribe's spiritual leader, but her new position brings her older brother's jealousy and her best friend's mistrust. And looming above these troubles are the recent visits of strangers from the mainland who have little regard for nature or the spirits, and tempt the tribe members with gifts, making them curious about modern life. When Uido's little brother falls deathly ill, she must cross the ocean and seek their help. Having now seen so many new things, will Uido have the strength to believe in herself and the old ways? And will her people trust her to lead them to safety when a catastrophic tsunami threatens? Uido must overcome everyone's doubts, including her own, if she is to keep her people safe and preserve the spirituality that has defined them.

Drawing on firsthand experience from her travels to the Andaman Islands, Padma Venkatraman was inspired to write this story after meeting natives who survived the 2004 tsunami and have been able to preserve their unique way of life. Uido's transformation from a young girl to tribal leader will touch both your heart and mind.