Not quite nine-year-old Anu lives with his parents in Seattle and spends a lot of time with his grandfather, Bapu. He is devastated when his beloved Bapu has a stroke and dies. Anu tries everything to bring him back to life. He shaves his head, fasts, and adapts mystical ways, such as somersaulting to school, thus copying the sadhu (holy man) who rolled thousands of miles. A visit to the island of the Mystery Museum brings this touching and sometimes humorous first-person narrative to a satisfying conclusion. Hindu gods and goddesses that Bapu worshipped and Indian traditions and customs are smoothly woven into the story of a young boy coping with death. mjw

Anu's beloved grandfather Bapu moved from India to Anu's home in the Pacific Northwest when Anu was small, and Anu is devastated when Bapu dies. But when he is visited by Bapu's ghost, he knows that there must be a way to bring him back to life -- he's just not sure how. Anu enlists his friends Izzy and Unger to help him. From shaving his head to making up fortunes in the hope of becoming more holy, Anu tries everything. He even journeys to the island of the Mystery Museum. Perhaps there, Karnak the Magician will be able to help?


From the Hardcover edition.