This was an intense story from the first page. Ana lives in the mountains of Bolivia where her father works in the mines and her mother and grandmother break rocks hoping for ore. Her brother is sickly and has constant lung issues, and Ana just dreams of a day where she can see grass and her father doesn't drink their money away. Her brother is taken to the mines with their father because he's going to be a man. Except he gets sick, and so Ana takes his place. She does a great job, but many of the miners grumble as the legend is the god of the mountain doesn't allow women. A wrong explosion causes the death of her father and her brother disappeared. Ana struggles to find her brother and then to help the new family they create. The book has such a beautiful atmosphere but an ominous tone that hangs over it. The ending is hopeful and celebrates found families. An impressive novel.

Didn't capture my attention and engagement. Interested in trying it again though and hopefully it will take.

Set in Bolivia, high in the Andes, where generations of families have toiled in the “Mountain That Eats Men”, education ends when a child turns eleven or twelve, maybe younger, then it is off to the mine to help support the family. If it weren't for references to a few trucks and modern clothing, the reader might think the plot was set in the past, but it is happening in the present. Miners face long hours in unsafe working condition but still there is never enough money for food, clothes, or medicine. The goal of life is simply to survive. Grandmother provides the Incan history and myths, while Ana's storyline provides the current reality. Ana's story is an excellent choice to broaden ones knowledge of life in a world other than your own. It is also a perfect addition to novels which address the cycle of poverty, unsafe working conditions, child labor, and environmental destruction. Definitely needs to be on middle school reading lists. Thank you to netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, for the arc.

This is a really great realistic fiction read for kids ages 10+ since it does delve into some tough, high-level topics.

Thank you to the publisher for the e-ARC of this book.

Though anything but a light read, this book was wonderful. The story of a Bolivian girl living high above the tree line in the Andes, this book tells of the struggle so many families experience working in mines, and watching their loved ones fade before them. The storytelling is well crafted, and Ana is indeed the heroine in the story. I look forward to reading more by Tara Sullivan.

Definitely eye opening, heart rending, and somehow uplifting by the end. You think of children working in mines being a story of hundreds of years past, not present day still happening. Will definitely recommend for kids to get a glimpse of other's truths.

This is a vivid and courageous story about poverty, mining and child labor. The descriptions were of working in the mine and climbing the mountain were so vivid, I felt claustrophobic and exhausted.

I could not put this book down! I have never read much about mining life or Bolivia, but now I am so intrigued.

Ana lives on on a mountain in Bolivia with her family in a mining community. Mining life is hard and Ana and her family live through many tragedies and hard times. She tries to help her family as much as she can while holding on to her dream of a better life in the future. The mountain is a cruel place to grow up. Life is hard and sad and most kids leave school to go work in the mines or to make money to help support their families. Through all of it, Ana learns how to hold on to her dreams and still be supportive of her family and community. This was just an all around incredible book that didn’t dance around the hardships of mining life, or life in general, but kept the hope of Ana and those around her going.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy!

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of Treasure of the World by Tara Sullivan.
Treasure of the World is a historical fiction that details the poverty of mining families in Bolivia. Ana, a twelve-year-old girl, tells her story of growing up in a poor mining community in the mountains of Bolivia. With barely enough food to survive, an abusive father, and a sick brother Ana has little hope for her future. As things go from bad to worse, Ana is forced to find the courage to save her family.
Treasure of the World is beautifully written, giving insight into the lives of people trapped in deplorable circumstances. Tara Sullivan does an excellent job bringing the reader into the story and making Ana a character to invest in. The experiences Ana faces are intense and well described making the reader feel like they are trapped in a mine, battling demons in their nightmares, or fighting to stay alive. This book will be easy to recommend to middle-grade readers.

This is a beautifully written story that should be on every reading list from middle grade to adult. Twelve-year-old Ana and her family live in abject poverty in the Bolivian mountains. Ana’s father, like all the other men in the area works in the Cerro Ricco silver mines. Each day after school Ana joins her mother, grandmother and other village women breaking rocks as they search for small bits of ore they might sell to bring in a little extra money to supplement meager mining wages. It’s hard work and yields little reward. All too soon Ana’s father forces her brother Daniel to quit school and go to work in the mines. Daniel, who has asthma only lasts two days before he becomes gravely ill and Ana volunteers to take his place. She works in the mine until her father feels Daniel is well enough to return. No one like the idea of a female mine worker, especially the other miners who believe Ana will only bring bad luck. Their fears are apparently realized when she is blamed for a subsequent cave in at the mine. This story of poverty, family, hardship and endurance is a must read. Highly recommended.