Not quite nine-year-old Anu lives with his parents in Seattle and spends a lot of time with his grandfather, Bapu. He is devastated when his beloved Bapu has a stroke and dies. Anu tries everything to bring him back to life. He shaves his head, fasts, and adapts mystical ways, such as somersaulting to school, thus copying the sadhu (holy man) who rolled thousands of miles. A visit to the island of the Mystery Museum brings this touching and sometimes humorous first-person narrative to a satisfying conclusion. Hindu gods and goddesses that Bapu worshipped and Indian traditions and customs are smoothly woven into the story of a young boy coping with death. mjw