Listen free for 30 days

Preview

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Conch Bearer

Written by: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Narrated by: Alan Cumming
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $23.99

Buy Now for $23.99

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

In a dingy shack in the less-than-desirable Indian neighborhood he calls home, 12-year-old Anand is entrusted with a conch shell that possesses mystical powers. His task is to return the shell to its rightful home many hundreds of miles away. Accompanying him are Nisha, a headstrong but resourceful child of the streets, and a mysterious man of indeterminate age and surprising resources named Abadhyatta. His quest will take him farther from home than he's ever been and will teach him more than he ever imagined - and it will force him to make a poignant decision that will change him forever.

©2004 Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (P)2004 Listening Library
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about The Conch Bearer

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    0
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 1 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    0
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

YA Fantasy in a Refreshing New Context

A delightful shift in YA fantasy. Engaging adventure. Well written. Set in India, it is a refreshing change of scene from fantasy worlds based in Eurocentric settings. India's mythology is rich and addresses universal themes. It's about time Westerners discovered its potential to entertain and expand horizons. Would love to see this made into a film.

The only flaw in the audio version of the book is the terrible narration. The acting was fine perhaps but the faux accents were distracting and bordering on offensive. It's a familiar colonial move to cast a white actor to play a character of color and fake accented dialogue. It needs to stop. I missed the authentic cadence, rhythms, and pronunciations of Indian-flavored English. This was worse than Apu of The Simpsons, who is a comedic caricature. Conch Bearer, however, is a fine literary work cheapened by oblivious white-washing.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!