Bone Talk

Product Information

Bone Talk is the story of Samkad, a young Bontoc boy at the cusp of manhood. His journey towards becoming one is a thrilling and heart breaking adventure since the setting of the novel happened at a time of conflict and change. It is 1899 and the Philippines has entered a war with the United States of America. His village in the Cordilleras is not spared of the cruelty of invaders. Though, the opportunity to learn from a friendly stranger presents itself. This coming of age story has a lot to tell, and teach, about identity, honor, subversion, obedience to customs and traditions and the gray areas in between. In any case, the fight scenes/violence were graphic even for kids 10-12 yrs of age, but I think this os necessary to amplify the voice and the struggles of our primary character, Samkad. I felt the inner voices telling him as he did things, even sometimes it felt like a move out of instinct. But everything changes when a new boy arrives in the village. He calls himself Samkad’s brother, yet he knows nothing of the ways of the mountain. And he brings news of a people called ‘Americans’, who are bringing war and destruction right to his home . . .

It had a good plot, a good setting, a good writing style, but the main character "Samkad" was just not connecting with me, somehow. I didn't quite find myself relating to this kid. It didn't bother much to me what was happening as I was following his story. The stakes were somewhat, let's say, not too high for me to care. A beautifully written story set in the Philippines at the time of the 1899 American invasion told by a young boy growing up in a remote tribe who encounters the outside world for the first time. Most stories from this time are told in the voice of the invaders, tourists or anthropologists. Candy Gourlay takes us into the world of the Bontok tribe and shows us their world through their eyes. Bone Talk was received well by critics and has been shortlisted for many awards, including the Costa Book Awards 2018 and the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2019. But when the rhythm came to me, it was smooth sailing from there. I started reading it one chapter a day for like 2 days, then decided to read about 3 chapters each day, so that I could burn through at least as close to how long a chapter was in Frankenstein. Just so that it felt like I had immersed myself into the book in the same fashion as to how I immersed myself in the previous one. So that it feels like I'm not stretching this book out by reading it so slowly like that. Do I make sense? It makes sense to me, that logic. I dunno if it would make sense to other people. Anyway... Her latest book is Mike Falls Up, illustrated by Carles Ballesteros, a portal fantasy for young readers beginning to explore beyond picture books. She has written a comics biography Illustrated by Tom Knight of the explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who happens to be credited with “discovering” the Philippines. Her novel Bone Talk was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and the Costa Prize in 2019 – it is set in the moment when headhunting tribes in the Philippines come face to face with American invaders. Her picture book, Is It a Mermaid, lushly illustrated by Francesca Chessa, was nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal. Shine a ghost story for teens was shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Book Prize. Her debut Tall Story was listed for 13 prizes including the Waterstones, the Blue Peter and the Branford Boase. It won the Crystal Kite Prize for Europe and the National Book Award in the Philippines.An examination into the Phillipine-American War that follows a small village and a budding young man, Samkad, who is waiting for the day he will become part of the men-folk. The three American soldiers were well balanced by Mister William. Our author, Candy Gourlay, gave an unflinching account of how some soldiers could have acted in the Philippines. Demoralising the locals, using them for their own gain, but she also showed that not every person from the invading country are arrogant and cruel. In the same way, Gourlay told of the clan wars between the neighbouring villages - letting the reader experience not only racial war but tribal too. I adored the relationship Samkad had with his father, his best friend and the elders of the community. While they didn't always get along, the belief the community had didn't allow for lies or treachery, even stubbornness seemed to melt away if the village's safety was called into question. I was interested in the exploration of gender in ‘Bone Talk’. Luki says that Samkad is too short and too small to be become a man and Samkad is desperate to be powerful, handsome and strong. How important is it to you in your writing to challenge gender stereotypes?

Little do I know that I wasn't able to put it down, when I read about Mangili, the tribal war context, and the arrival of the Americans. Those Americans.The story itself it set in three parts and follows the story of Samkad, a boy on the cusp of being initiated into manhood. The rite of passage ceremony though is brought to a halt when the old ones set a task that, ultimately, sets in motion events that change the tribe's future for all time. Together with Luki, a ferociously-willed young girl, his father and others (not wanting to give the plot away), Samkad finds his whole world changed and challenged forever. Will he have the strength and courage within to save his people and what will his people and their culture mean to him when he encounters others? And then, there is Luki. Irrepressible and persistent, she is Samkad's best friend. It is through her that social class and the roles of Bontoc women are presented. How she defies and disobeys them not because she is a bad girl. Luki is smart and perceptive, protective of her family and friends. She knows who she is and where she belongs. These are all evident in the dialogues she has with Samkad implying that, even girls or women, can fight for the people and the place they love. Candy is an ardent member of the international "kid-lit" organisation, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). She is currently serving on the Children’s Writers’ and Illustrators’ Group of the Society of Authors. She lives in London with her family, where she wages war on the snails in her garden. That being said Candy's use of language is impressive. The descriptions are beautiful and a picture is painted for you so its easy to imagine this place that feels so removed from the world we see around us now.