The Golden Necklace: A Darjeeling Tea Mystery

by Mitali Perkins, Maithili Joshi (Illustrator)

Overview

National Book Award nominee Mitali Perkins crafts a contemporary chapter-book mystery about a 12-year-old Nepali girl who sets out to solve the disappearance of her Bengali friend's missing jewelry.

Set within a tea plantation in Darjeeling, 7-10-year-old readers are transported across the world to a politically and culturally rich setting, following our brave heroine, Sona.

Sona, a 12-year-old Nepali girl, has struck up a friendship with Tara, the niece of the greedy tea plantation manager who has promised Tara's hand in marriage in order to get his hands on her inheritance of precious jewelry. Then Tara’s gold jewelry goes missing. The search is on for the culprit, and Sona must use all her wits in order to prove it wasn’t her beloved brother, Samiran Daju, who stole it.

Filled with vivid characters against a complex and multilayered political and cultural backdrop, this novel showcases a strong girl protagonist whom readers will root for. The Golden Necklace is award-winning author Mitali Perkins's latest and most compelling story yet.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781632893543
Publisher:	Charlesbridge
Publication date:	10/07/2025
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	112
File size:	8 MB
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Mitali Perkins was born in Kolkata, India, and has lived in Bangladesh, Cameroon, Ghana, India, Mexico, Thailand, Great Britain, and Austria. She is the author of Bamboo People, Rickshaw Girl, Monsoon Summer, The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen, and Secret Keeper. She regularly blogs about life between cultures at www.mitaliblog.com.

Editorial Reviews

The daughter of a Nepali tea plantation worker in Darjeeling solves a mystery at the behest of a family friend.
Twelve-year-old Sona has plenty on her mind. As one of only three Nepali students with a shot at a scholarship to the prestigious Darjeeling International School, she must pass an English exam. Meanwhile, her older brother, Samiran, is struggling to find work after he’s falsely accused of stealing a neighbor’s motorcycle. On top of that, her 18-year-old Bengalese friend Tara is engaged to be married to a cruel man 10 years her senior; the match was arranged by Tara’s uncle, and she’s convinced he’s only after the gold jewelry her parents left her before they died. Sona stands guard as Tara sneaks into the kitchen to catch one last glimpse of her family gold. But that very day, the gold is stolen, and Sona worries that suspicion will fall onto Samiran. Can she solve the mystery? Featuring an endearing, resolute protagonist, this expertly plotted story will enthrall readers. Perkins deftly captures the details of life in Darjeeling, including the power dynamics responsible for the social and financial issues Sona and her family face. In showing the friendship between Sona and Tara, Perkins teases out the ways in which socioeconomics and gender affect the trajectory of both girls’ lives, from unequal access to water (those who can’t afford it must ration their supply) to the challenges of pursuing education.
A page-turner that’s richly threaded with social conflict.
—Kirkus Reviews

Sona, a 12-year-old Nepali girl who lives in Darjeeling with her mother and brother, dreams of being a teacher and helping the village where she lives. She has the opportunity to win a scholarship to the Darjeeling International School but must first pass an English proficiency test. Life is hard for her small family; her mother spends long, hard days picking tea leaves, while her brother owes money to the despicable tea plantation manager. If Sona doesn’t pass this test, she will be doing that painful work, too. One thing that brightens her day is seeing her friend, 18-year-old Tara, the niece of the plantation manager. Unfortunately, he has promised her hand in marriage to an equally despicable man. Their goal is to seize the expensive golden jewelry Tara inherited from her parents. When the precious jewels go missing, Sona worries that the thief might have been her brother, so she gets to work helping Tara, while also making sure her brother’s name is cleared. This is a good book for older middle grade readers. Sona is a brave protagonist who uses her smart thinking to help others. The exciting story also gives readers a look into various cultures and the distinctions between social classes. Joshi’s black-and-white illustrations provide emotion and detail to supplement the text and are exceptionally adept at capturing the expressions of the characters. VERDICT This book about an ambitious Nepali girl detective will capture readers’ attention before the first chapter is done; recommended.
—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

2025-07-16
The daughter of a Nepali tea plantation worker in Darjeeling solves a mystery at the behest of a family friend.

Twelve-year-old Sona has plenty on her mind. As one of only three Nepali students with a shot at a scholarship to the prestigious Darjeeling International School, she must pass an English exam. Meanwhile, her older brother, Samiran, is struggling to find work after he’s falsely accused of stealing a neighbor’s motorcycle. On top of that, her 18-year-old Bengalese friend Tara is engaged to be married to a cruel man 10 years her senior; the match was arranged by Tara’s uncle, and she’s convinced that her fiancé is only after the gold jewelry her parents left her before they died. Sona stands guard as Tara sneaks into the kitchen to catch one last glimpse of her family gold. But that very day, the gold is stolen, and Sona worries that suspicion will fall onto Samiran. Can she solve the mystery? Featuring an endearing, resolute protagonist, this expertly plotted story will enthrall readers. Perkins deftly captures the details of life in Darjeeling, including the power dynamics responsible for the social and financial issues Sona and her family face. In showing the friendship between Sona and Tara, Perkins teases out the ways in which socioeconomics and gender affect the trajectory of both girls’ lives, from unequal access to water (those who can’t afford it must ration their supply) to the challenges of pursuing education.

A page-turner that’s richly threaded with social conflict.(Mystery. 8-11)

Kirkus Reviews