Lengtonghoih : The Girl Who Wanted the Brightest Star

Richly illustrated in color, this book brings a charming folktale from Northeast India to a global audience. A beautiful young girl named Lengtonghoih, dearly loved by her seven brothers, is abducted by a cruel prince who intends to marry her. This enchanting story revolves around the seven brothers’ adventure to save their sister and how, instead, she saves them—with the help of mystical power and magic. While folktales from many parts of India have been widely translated into other languages and have become part of national narratives, such stories from Northeast India—a greatly underrepresented, culturally rich region—remain relatively unknown outside their own communities. This gorgeous book changes that by showcasing a traditional yet subversive folktale from the Paite people, an indigenous community from Manipur. Conceptualized by Richard Khuptong, translated by Mercy V. Guite, and beautifully illustrated in full color by Tanya Gupta, Lengtonghoih will delight children and adults alike.