Gr 10 Up-This novel is set in Lesotho during the 1980s, when it was surrounded by a hostile South Africa. Kokoanyana is of Asian-Indian ethnic origin, and has lived her life in an isolated community, surrounded by secrets, especially regarding her father. Neglected by her mother, she is closest to a local woman employed by the family, and has grown up imbued with a traditional Basotho sense of the ancestors and the powerful spirits that inhabit the landscape. It is this sensibility, shot through with Hindu religious imagery and the threatening violence of apartheid, that infuses the heart of the narrative. Koko's half brother Sohrab is arrested by the police as the story opens, an event as mysterious to readers as it is to Koko. As she tries to unravel the mystery of her father's identity, it becomes clear that her family's history and fate are intimately connected to South Africa, and the situation becomes increasingly dangerous. The ghost of her stepfather comes back to help the family escape the soldiers. The story unfolds in magical realist fashion, with imagery alternately luscious and terse. After a powerful beginning, the narrative falters in the middle. However, it picks up considerably as the story moves toward its shocking and violent climax, and Koko is left to make autonomous choices about her life for the first time. The author's feelings for the landscape and the people come through powerfully. Red Sand, Red Dust demands patience from readers, but those who persevere will be rewarded.-Sue Giffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information