N.A. Nelson Book Title: BRINGING THE BOY HOME Publication Date: July 1, 2008 Publisher: HarperCollins Childrens ISBN: 978-0060886981 Author's Website: http://www.ninanelsonbooks.com/

Description of Book:

Tirio was cast out of the Takunami tribe at a very young age because of his disabled foot. But an American woman named Sara adopted him, and his life has only gotten better since. Now, as his thirteenth birthday approaches, things are nearly perfect. So why is he having visions and hearing voices calling him back to the Amazon?

Luka has spent his whole life preparing for his soche seche tente, a sixth sense test all Takunami boys must endure just before their thirteenth birthday. His family's future depends on whether or not he passes this perilous test. His mother has dedicated herself to making sure that no aspect of his training is overlooked...but fate has a way of disturbing even the most carefully laid plans.

Two young boys. An unforgiving jungle. One shared destiny.

*****A portion of the profits from Bringing the Boy Home will be donated to the Amazon Conservation Team (ACT) whose mission is to work in partnership with indigenous people in conserving biodiversity, health, and culture in tropical America.*****

About the Author:

N.A. Nelson was born in London, England and grew up on a cattle farm in rural Missouri. Living on a thousand acres of wilderness provided plenty of opportunities for adventure, but it also created a sense of wonderment about what else was out there. After graduating with a degree in tourism, the author strapped on a backpack and has been exploring the world ever since. Recent journeys include the jungles of the Amazon and the glaciered peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Bringing the Boy Home is the author’s debut novel and the winner of the 2005 Ursula Nordstrom Fiction contest. Please visit her at http://www.ninanelsonbooks.com/.

Excerpt:

TIRIO: The jungle was respectfully quiet, as it often is when something bigger than itself happens. And although dying is common in the rainforest, a mother sending her child to his death is not. So with its many eyes and ears, it sat back and watched as Maha pushed me into the dark, whirling waters of the mighty river. 
I sat cross-legged in the hollowed-out tree and lifted my chin. As the current nudged the boat away, a low hanging branch scratched my face, but I didn’t flinch. This was how I wanted her to remember me.

LUKA: Two days before I turn thirteen, I will be abandoned in the depths of the jungle with nothing but my sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell to defend myself. Having honed these five senses since I was born, I must trust my body to act on instinct and open my mind to the sixth sense. The father whom I have never met will send me signals.  I will use these visions and voices to find my way home before the sun fully rises on my birthday. I will not fail.

Reviews:

    "Told in two distinctive voices, this imaginative and beautifully realized novel, set in the Amazon, tells the story of two boys from the fictional Takunami tribe, who on the eve of their 13th birthdays must endure the soche seche tente, a test of manhood. If a Takunami boy successfully completes this ordeal, he will have warrior status in the tribe and be allowed to meet his father, who psychically guides him during the experience. Tirio, who was ousted from the tribe because of a bad foot, has not been formally trained. But now that his birthday approaches, he has been hearing the voices of his ancestors and knows that despite his lack of preparation, he is being called upon to meet his destiny. Luka, who has spent his childhood working toward this moment under the tutelage of his strong-willed mother, is ready. Their stories connect in a surprising yet totally believable way, giving psychological depth  to this richly hued novel about the winding turns of destiny and the bonds between father and son, tribe and family."   ~Kirkus Review

"In this debut novel, winner of the Ursula Nordstrom Fiction Contest, a boy with a malformed foot is cast off by his remote Amazonian tribe, the Takunami. Sara, an American anthropologist, rescues 6-year-old Tirio, adopts him, and brings him home to Miami. As Tirio approaches his thirteenth birthday, he begins to hear inner voices, a phenomenon that he knows is common among Takunami boys as they prepare for the soche sente tente, a grueling coming-of-age test in which young men are guided through a dangerous jungle by spiritual communication with their fathers. When Sara and Tirio return to the Amazon, Tirio plots his own secret soche sente tente, hoping to meet the father he never knew. Alternating with Tirio's story is a plot about a young Takunami boy who is also training for his soche sente tente, and the end connects the stories with a moving surprise. The vivid setting, imagined cultural particulars (Nelson invented the Takunami), and magical realism will captivate readers, as will Tirio's complicated, shifting emotions of rage, abandonment, belonging, and love. ~Gillian Engberg Booklist Review

"Refreshing, well put-together, and completely original."   ~Teensreadtoo.com (5 star review)