Sitara, Lady of the Lotus
Inspired by a Korean folktale, a Bengali princess attends a prestigious Korean academy...
Princess Sitara has been insecure about her N'daian heritage for as long as she can remember. With a culture, religion, and appearance foreign to Oreka—the kingdom her parents immigrated to—Sitara is anxious about everything she does.
Attending the Royal Academy, Sitara records her school life in a series of journal entries. The three years at the academy are meant to shape her, or she'll be expelled from the palace. She could be a royal tailor like her only friend, Saya, a lady investigator like the wise Madame Joon-bin, or continue to defy Orekan norms by becoming a palace officer like her crush, Sir Jun-Seo.
Where exactly does a N'daian princess like Sitara belong in Oreka?
SITARA, LADY OF THE LOTUS is a diaspora fantasy novel for teens exploring friendship, first love, and self-acceptance.
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S.A. Hoque is a lifelong New Yorker and daughter of Bengali immigrants. Hoque has been a huge fan of princesses, dragons, and anything fantasy-related since middle school and now writes about them.
She is an environmental scientist by profession but hopes her stories of Bengali and Muslim female leads will inspire Muslims to be confident in their faith, wherever they may be. Hoque currently resides in New York City with her family and her neighbor's cat, Rocket.
Contact
If you'd like to contact me about a blurb request or send a note, you can email me at sahoquebooks[@]gmail.com!
For bookstores and stocking-related inquiries for hardcover copies, please contact my publisher at Shaherazad Shelves.