A Bit of Earth
Written by Karuna Riazi
Narrated by Subhadra Newton
5/5
()
About this audiobook
“Karuna Riazi has a way with words. This story will find its way into your heart.”—Tae Keller, Newbery Medalist for When You Trap a Tiger
“As timeless as it is timely, A Bit of Earth is a rare gift.”—Laurel Snyder, author of National Book Award nominee Orphan Island
“Extraordinary, poetic, and inventive. A Bit of Earth is such a special book. Prickles and all, Maria Latif captured my whole heart.”—Jasmine Warga, author of Newbery Honor book Other Words for Home
“An ambitious re-envisioning of a long beloved classic, this book is sure to be a big hit.”—Padma Venkatraman, award-winning author of The Bridge Home
“Beautiful! Simply beautiful! My heart needed this!”—Ellen Oh, author of Finding Junie Kim
“A sweet and warm-hearted tale with unforgettable characters.”—Aisha Saeed, bestselling author of Amal Unbound
Maria Latif is used to not having a space of her own. But what happens when she feels the sudden urge to put down roots in the most unexpected of places? Karuna Riazi crafts a tender coming-of-age story about friendship, family, and new beginnings. A Bit of Earth is a reimagining of the classic The Secret Garden, perfect for fans of Other Words for Home and The Bridge Home.
Growing up in Pakistan, Maria Latif has been bounced between reluctant relatives for as long as she can remember—first because of her parents’ constant travel, and then because of their deaths. Maria has always been a difficult child, and it never takes long for her guardians to tire of her. So when old friends of her parents offer to “give her a better life” in the United States, Maria is shipped to a host family across the world.
When Maria arrives on Long Island, things are not quite what she was expecting. Mr. Clayborne has left on an extended business trip, Mrs. Clayborne seems emotionally fraught, and inexplicable things keep happening in the Claybornes’ sprawling house. And then Maria finds a locked gate to an off-limits garden. Since she’s never been good at following rules, Maria decides to investigate and discovers something she never thought she’d find: a place where she feels at home.
With a prickly main character, a sullen boy, two friendly allies, and a locked garden, A Bit of Earth has everything a reader could want from a retelling of The Secret Garden. Karuna Riazi’s evocative prose is interspersed with poetic verses, illuminating each character’s search for a place they can truly call home. This tender yet incisive reimagining of a classic work will captivate fans of the original—and widen the appeal for a modern audience.
Karuna Riazi
Karuna Riazi is a born and raised New Yorker, with a loving, large extended family and the rather trying experience of being the eldest sibling in her particular clan. Besides pursuing a BA in English literature from Hofstra University, she is an online diversity advocate, blogger, and publishing intern. Karuna is fond of tea, baking new delectable treats for friends and family to relish, Korean dramas, and writing about tough girls forging their own paths toward their destinies. She is the author of The Gauntlet and The Battle.
Related to A Bit of Earth
Related audiobooks
The In-Between Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Merci Suárez Plays It Cool Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Year I Flew Away Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Omega Morales and the Legend of La Lechuza Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5New from Here Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Drawing Deena Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Finding Junie Kim Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dream, Annie, Dream Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Golden Girl Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Three Strike Summer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Girl from Earth's End Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Marya Khan and the Incredible Henna Party: Marya Khan, Book 1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRecipe For Disaster Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSisters of the Neversea Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Cece Rios and the King of Fears Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Those Kids from Fawn Creek Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Freddie Vs. The Family Curse Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Samosa Rebellion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Healer of the Water Monster Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Takeout Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mirror to Mirror Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHamra and the Jungle of Memories Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Tethered to Other Stars Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It’s Boba Time for Pearl Li! Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Grounded Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5When the World Turned Upside Down Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Josephine Against the Sea Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shad Hadid and the Alchemists of Alexandria Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5You Only Live Once, David Bravo Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Children's Social Themes For You
The Smart Cookie Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Wrecking Ball Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Dragonet Prophecy: Wings of Fire, Book 1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Moon Rising (Wings of Fire #6) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Bad Seed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I would, but MY DAMN MIND won't let me: A Guide for Teen Girls: How to Understand and Control Your Thoughts and Feelings Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWinnie-the-Pooh Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Darkstalker: Wings of Fire: Legends, Book 1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Adventures of Captain Underpants: Color Edition (Captain Underpants #1): Captain Underpants, Book 1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Bad Case of Stripes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Harold & The Purple Crayon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Chrysanthemum Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Frog and Toad Together Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Days With Frog and Toad Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The School for Good and Evil #2: A World without Princes: Now a Netflix Originals Movie Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The School for Good and Evil: Now a Netflix Originals Movie Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The One and Only Ivan Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Unwanteds Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5New Kid Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Out of My Mind Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wish Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Unteachables Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5What Happened to Rachel Riley? Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Pax Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Kingdom over the Sea Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5That Was Then, This Is Now Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for A Bit of Earth
3 ratings0 reviews