Samkad’s story is told so sensitively, so lightly and so truthfully that you are completely transported (heart in mouth) to another time and world– until Samkad’s concerns are your concerns and you’re with him every step of the way. Ms. Gourlay claims that Bone Talk is not history. True, but fiction can lead readers to a broader understanding of other disciplines and life lessons embedded in the material either intentionally or otherwise. In the end, I realized, that while Samkad earned his rightful place in the village, it is his father who learned a great lesson as well. This for me is the most beautiful part of the novel. Over a hundred years ago, a boy named Samkad lives with his tribe in the remote mountains of the Philippines. One day a new boy arrives in the village. He may call himself Samkad’s brother, but he brings news of people called Americans who are coming to ‘civilise’ them and bring war and destruction to Samkad’s home. I also feel like nothing really happened for the majority of this book. There was a slight adventure at the end, and a plot twist that I wasn't expecting, but didn't really satisfy me all too much. I didn't see any message in this book, except maybe "you don't need a cut to be a man" which was kind of a rubbish message. This gripping novel imagines what living in a country on the brink of colonisation might have been like. Told from the point of view of a courageous indigenous boy, the book whisks readers away into a fascinating, unfamiliar world.

We are thrilled to welcome author Candy Gourlay into The Reading Realm today to discuss Bone Talk, Shine, and Is It A Mermaid? Samkad is a boy, desperate to be a man. However, customs dictate he must listen to the ancients of his village and he cannot become a man until his brother is found. Candy Gourlay once again dazzled me with her humor, wit and storytelling. I literally laughed out loud at one point when she started a chapter with this line, ...no talk of my manhood, after a series of action filled narratives. This is Samkad speaking and there I find the typical teenager. Irrational. Emotional. Impulsive. Self centered. I remember myself at twelve years old during the height of the People Power Revolution. I worried about my grade school graduation. Never mind if tanks and soldiers were moving and marching on EDSA. I need to graduate by March! Beth Goodyear, The Scotsman ‘Great Reads to Entertain and Inspire DevelopingMinds’. Candy Gourlay is a master storyteller, capable of transporting her readers competelyinto her world … Bone Talk is a richly wrought novel that feels cinematic in scope. Thereader is transported to a different time and place and feels completely engulfed bythe sights, sounds and smells of this lost wilderness.This novel creates intrigue to a forgotten war, one that is pushed aside by the big boys - WWI and WWII. The beautiful if not demanding nature of the villages that would live on their own self efficiency is a wonder. They fight, they win or lose, but beyond everything - they survive. Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books. I loved this book in so many ways. It's diverse, very challenging and really made me think. I feel as if I have lived every moment of the story ... This is a great young-adult read that strikes away from the norm. It certainly shook me from my reading perch as it was enjoyable on so many levels. Read the review

Following Samkad we’re shown what happens to this group when they are taken over by the Americans invading their country. Jill Murphy, The Bookbag. A gripping adventure story and a fascinating piece of historical fiction but you never, ever forget that it's the story of Samkad, a boy you believe could be your friend.Highly recommended. Read the whole review Candy Gourlay (b.1962) is a Filipino author who lives in London. As a child she loved to read, particularly historical novels, like Oliver Twist and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, but noticed that none of these books were set where she grew up or feature children like her. Despite the fact that this was about a boy waiting to get circumcised, I quite enjoyed the story and the characters. It was nice reading an own voices historical fiction set outside the US. Gourlay shows the contrast between the two boys--one who grew up in the village with his father, and the other who was sent to another region and "Americanized".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? The book gave me a variety of emotions to ponder on. Some, even extreme emotions of wishing death. Lols I think it goes with the age and my angst with the kupal na Amerikano sa mundong ibabaw. The dreary prospect of spending a lifetime making caskets instead of wonderful inventions prompts a young orphan to snatch up his little sister and flee. Where? To the circus, of course. So, go and read the book. Find a copy. Buy or borrow! Do not miss out the wonderful discoveries and insights you can take away from the novel. 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.