Ruby's dad wakes her up in the middle of the night and tells her they need to leave their home. Along with her grandma, they make a hasty escape from Australia to India aboard a cruise ship. Confused and frightened, Ruby has no choice but to go along with her father. Her mother died 18 months ago and has left the family in a shattered state. Ruby is afraid of darkness and often has terrible flashbacks of the day her mother died. Upon their arrival in India, Ruby's dad begins to renovate an abandoned hotel in the hopes to get it up and running. The village thinks the hotel and the surrounding area is cursed, however. Ruby doesn't know what to believe, she does know that strange things seem to be happening all around her. When two men appear claiming to be friends of her father and part owners of the soon-to-be hotel, Ruby becomes suspicious of their behaviour. They keep a mysterious cabin in the jungle locked at all times and after Ruby discovers a tin full of what look to be animal claws, she wonders if they are really interested in the hotel or something more sinister. With the help of her human friend Praveen and her animal friends Joey and Polly, Ruby is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding her father, the curse and the two strange men. The description of the jungle and the creatures both big and small are great, you can tell that Butterworth has experienced these animals herself or knows a lot about them. Ruby is a strong, intelligent character who doesn't let people push her around. She makes up her own mind and uses her surrounding to gather clues. Part adventure story, part mystery with a good moral behind it, When The Mountains Roared is a hugely successful followup to Butterworth's amazing Running on the Roof of the World. Highly recommended for ages 9 and up!
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