Bringing Back Kay-Kay
The Times Children's Book of the Week
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Walker Books Ltd
Published:4th Apr '24
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"Without you, Kay-Kay, there’s no sun, no warmth, no light. I will find you – my brother, my friend. I will find you and bring you back."
When Lena’s beloved older brother goes missing at the end of summer camp, the bottom drops out of Lena's world. The police dismiss Kay-Kay’s disappearance as that of just another teenage runaway, but Lena knows they are wrong. Tired of not being listened to, powerless to reach her parents through their grief and unable to imagine a future without her brother in it, Lena sets off to find him.
As Lena journeys across India to retrace Kay-Kay's last known steps, she embarks on a parallel journey of discovery. Because it seems there is a side to Kay-Kay she has never known. The more she learns about her brother in the weeks leading up to his disappearance, the more determined Lena is to find him – and to finally be the sister he has so clearly needed. But will she be too late…?
A plucky heroine worth rooting for in a story that is hopeful and heartfelt. -- Lucy Bannerman * The Times *
This mystery story for children has a precision worthy of Agatha Christie… Kothari is a persuasive, elegant writer. * The Telegraph *
Heartfelt, evocative and layered... Both charming and intriguing. * Hiba Noor Khan *
a remarkable debut – an unfolding mystery, wrapped in a tenacious sister’s hunt for her perfect older brother. Written in an utterly unique voice, and a train journey through India that brimming with detail. It set our book club alight. * Books for Keeps, Books of the Year 2024 *
I enjoyed this is feel-good, lyrical debut immensely. Bringing Back Kay-Kay is the story of a girl who goes looking for her missing brother and finds him, and herself, in so many different ways. This is a mystery but it's so much more than that. It's a quest through various towns and trains in India, meeting many personalities and discovering that the truth is many-layered and steeped in love. Read it! * Nizrana Farook *
- Short-listed for Jhalak Children's & YA Prize 2025 (UK)
- Long-listed for Branford Boase Award 2025 (UK)
ISBN: 9781529516043
Dimensions: 198mm x 120mm x 20mm
Weight: 209g
304 pages