A Bit of Earth

A foreboding feeling permeates this mystery-driven novel, a The Secret Garden retelling from Riazi (The Gauntlet). Having grown up staying with relations in Bangladesh and Pakistan, young Maria Latif, though often considered “unpleasant,” has experience abiding without her immediate family. But she’s thrust into another new situation after her parents die while traveling, and their alumni friends in New York City seek to provide her with opportunities. When the distant cousin with whom she’s supposed to stay is unexpectedly called away, she’s forced to head to the “cold, unhappy” Long Island estate of the Claybornes, who read as white. There, she’s hosted by “the second Mrs. Clayborne” as well as Mr. Clayborne’s mother, who forbids Maria from visiting parts of the home, including the yard. Flouting the rules while navigating the residence’s tense atmosphere, Maria feels happier upon finding an unlocked, unloved garden to tend—and inside it a beautifully embroidered sari. The outdoors has always been Maria’s favorite place, and working in the secret garden feels just right to her. When he’s sent home from boarding school for misbehavior, she also befriends young Colin Clayborne, the biracial-cued son of the late first Mrs. Clayborne, Saira. Chapters alternate experiential free-verse poetry with a third-person narrative as Maria excavates the garden’s past and her own isolation in this thoughtful, emotionally honest take on the source material. Ages 8–12. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra Agency. (Mar.)