The Unforgotten Coat

by Frank Cottrell-Boyce Narrated by Sarah Coomes

Overview

From the best-selling author of Cosmic and Millions comes an evocative immigration tale about two brothers trying to survive- a daring story that miraculously defies belief.

When two Mongolian brothers inexplicably appear one morning in Julie's sixth grade class, no one, least of all Julie, knows what to do with them. But when Chingis, the older of the two brothers, proclaims Julie as their "Good Guide" - a nomadic tradition of welcoming strangers to a new land - Julie must somehow navigate them through soccer, school uniforms, and British slang, all while trying to win Shocky's attention and perhaps also an invitation to her friend Mimi's house. At times funny, this moving and simply told novella tugs at the heart - a unique story of immigration both fierce in its telling and magical in its characters.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Funny, sad, haunting and original...A tricky, magical delight.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

A tight, powerful story-brimming with humor, mystery, and pathos.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Kirkus Reviews

Treading water in her last term of elementary school, Julie figures she's learned all there is to learn, when two Mongolian brothers in fur-lined coats (it's summer) arrive: Chingis and Nergui.

Chingis explains to their teacher that little Nergui's hat must stay on, like a hunting eagle's hood. Such casual references to wonders far from their Liverpool suburb, documented in the text with eerie Polaroid snapshots, enthrall the children, especially Julie. She's elated when Chingis appoints her the brothers' "good guide." Despite her title, Julie can't discover where they live; street-smart Chingis foils her attempts to follow them, taking a different route each day. Thwarted curiosity prompts her to research Mongolia online, succumbing to the mystery and fascination of far-off places and people. As her persistence pays off, she awakens to the fear the brothers carry. Funny, sad, haunting and original, Cottrell Boyce's story leaves important elements unexpressed. As with lace, these holes are part of the design, echoed in the unadorned photos: a path through a dark forest; wagon tracks across a field that meet the lowering sky; shadows on a yurt wall. To complete the narrative, readers must actively participate. They'll find myriad paths to follow—immigration, demons, social networking, the mystery of cultural difference and the nature of enchantment.

A tricky, magical delight. (author's note) (Fiction. 8-12)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172466175
Publisher:	Brilliance Audio
Publication date:	09/13/2011
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

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