Scar
of the Bamboo Leaf
by Sieni A.M.
Release
Date: 07/09/14
Summary
from Goodreads:
"That
boy is like the bamboo...foreign and unknown in this environment. But like the
bamboo, if you plant and nurture it in the right soil, it has the potential to
grow vibrant and strong."
Walking with a pronounced limp all her life has never stopped fifteen-year-old Kiva Mau from doing what she loves. While most girls her age are playing sports and perfecting their traditional Samoan dance, Kiva finds serenity in her sketchbook and volunteering at the run-down art center her extended family owns, nestled amongst the bamboo.
When seventeen-year-old Ryler Cade steps into the art center for the first time, Kiva is drawn to the angry and misguided student sent from abroad to reform his violent ways. Scarred and tattooed, a friendship is formed when the gentle Kiva shows him kindness and beauty through art, until circumstances occur beyond their control and they are pulled away.
Immersed in the world of traditional art and culture, this is the story of self-sacrifice and discovery, of acceptance and forbearance, of overcoming adversity and finding one’s purpose. Spanning years, it is a story about an intuitive girl and a misunderstood boy and love that becomes real when tested.
Walking with a pronounced limp all her life has never stopped fifteen-year-old Kiva Mau from doing what she loves. While most girls her age are playing sports and perfecting their traditional Samoan dance, Kiva finds serenity in her sketchbook and volunteering at the run-down art center her extended family owns, nestled amongst the bamboo.
When seventeen-year-old Ryler Cade steps into the art center for the first time, Kiva is drawn to the angry and misguided student sent from abroad to reform his violent ways. Scarred and tattooed, a friendship is formed when the gentle Kiva shows him kindness and beauty through art, until circumstances occur beyond their control and they are pulled away.
Immersed in the world of traditional art and culture, this is the story of self-sacrifice and discovery, of acceptance and forbearance, of overcoming adversity and finding one’s purpose. Spanning years, it is a story about an intuitive girl and a misunderstood boy and love that becomes real when tested.
Excerpt;
“I
dare you,” she said a little shakier than she hoped.
“What?”
“I
dare you to challenge yourself. To make the effort to step out of
your angry little bubble. To do it for yourself, if not for your
family. You’ve come here with your glass completely full with your
issues and challenges and everything else that has gone wrong in your
life. All my uncle asks is that you empty yourself of some of that
hatred so you can allow for something else to enter inside. You might
be surprised at what that might be.”
Ryler
glared at her while she swallowed hard. She started to notice the
other boys growing restless around her while they waited for the next
step in the art class. “I’ll leave you to it then,” she said as
she started to rise. She stood a little too quickly and felt her left
leg give way awkwardly, threatening to topple her over. Her stomach
clenched in horror as she sucked in a breath and flung an arm out to
balance herself.
He
watched her wobble and shot his hand out to steady her. His fingers
wrapped around her arm above her elbow. He held her firmly yet
gently, she observed, as she found her footing. She felt his strength
radiating through her skin with a hand she was all too familiar
sketching. A hand that now had calluses under the fingers from days
of carving.
“Thanks,
I’m … I’m okay now,” she recovered quickly. When she stood as
upright as she could, her back and shoulder bent at an angle, he let
her go. Knowing how mortified she would have been if she had fallen
over, Kiva straightened her sarong and gave him a shaky smile.
“You’re not so bad after all, Ryler.”
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