THE VINE BASKET

This bittersweet story is set in remote East Turkestan--now China. The Uyghur people are much like the Tibetans as their homeland and culture have been taken over by the Han Chinese. Narrator Zeynep Bilik presents 14-year-old Mehrigul, her little sister, and her grandfather with warmth, sweetness, and dignity. Mehrigul has a difficult, almost hopeless life until an American woman spots a beautiful basket she's made. Bilik skillfully slips from beautiful accented English to Mandarin to Uyghur (including translation), which adds authenticity to the story. Mehrigul's drunken, gambling father and depressed mother are aptly rendered in tones of anger and frustration. A moving author's note in La Valley's own voice recounts how she was inspired to write about the family after a personal encounter. Listeners of all ages will learn from Mehrigul's simple tale. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2013]