Liana Bedford is half Australian and half Pakistani, and has spent most of her life in an international boarding school in the north of Pakistan while her parents work in the rural villages. She speaks the language and is comfortable in her surroundings ... 

         Mikal Kimberley has never left Australia before. Now he's got a job as a music teacher in an international school in Pakistan, near the Himlalayas. He doesn't speak the language or know the culture. But he has an ulterior motive: to find the father and sister who don't even know he exists.
        Both are caught up in the worsening political situation as the local population seeks to rid the area of of Amriki—Americans. No matter that Liana, Mikal, and many of the others students and teachers are British or Australian. The attacks get closer and closer to the school, until the decision is made to evacuate the children to the safety of their national embassies.
     That's when the trouble starts ...

        Nothing goes according to plan, and Liana and Mikal find themselves hiding in plain sight, trying to rescue Liana's missing classmates while knowing the consequences of being caught.
        Liana's Dance is a fascinating insight into another culture, and into the lives of missionaries and other international workers in countries hostile to the gospel. It's also an insight into the sacrifice they and their families must make, as they are separated for long periods during the year.
       The writing is strong, and I enjoyed the occasional touches of humour, like the reference to the temperature being "a cool thirty degrees centigrade". I think that's about ninety degrees Farenheit. Thirty is definitely a warm summer day here in New Zealand!
        I recommend Liana's Dance to anyone who wants to better understand the challenges for expatriate workers and their children, for anyone looking for a strong young adult novel with plenty of adventure, and for anyone who wants to expand their own knowledge and understanding of other cultures: now isn't that food for thought?

         Iola Goulton is a New Zealand book reviewer, freelance editor, and          author, writing contemporary Christian romance with a Kiwi twist.

 

I'm always interested in diverse titles, especially contemporaries that deal with modern day issues, and Liana's Dance does that pretty well! It deals very gracefully with the very real threat of terrorism, anti-western sentiments in The Middle East, and how teenagers today can survive such high stakes climates. It's a fast-paced book, with a storyline that sucks you in from the beginning and then moves quickly. There were a few things I didn't feel were realistic, but overall I enjoyed it and would recommend it!

            Caitlin C, Media/Journalist, Net Galley

 

I deeply appreciated the opportunity to read and review this book. I'll be using it's contents in my teaching and will make sure to keep an eye out for more works from this author and publisher.

            Educator 242522, Net Galley

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