Mini-Review - Diamonds, by Armin Greder.

Armin Greder's 'Diamonds'

Diamonds, by Armin Greder is a book about diamonds. Not the dazzling beauty of them, but the very real nightmare that is often the untold story of the people behind the jewels we don for special occasions. 
Like many of Greder's books, the artwork is dark and at times menacing. It tells the story of a young girl watching her mother prepare to go out, and the images that stalk into her dreams. 

Most of these scenes are without words as the young girls imagination and the horrors of human trafficking, modern day slavery, human cruelty, greed and ignorance collide with powerful effect. 
Greder powerfully portrays the complexity of supply chains and invites readers to weigh in on the ethics and reasons behind each step of the diamond's journey.

This isn't a light book for bedtime reading, and certainly doesn't tie the uncomfortable bits up neatly at the end. And yet - I really appreciate it. Diamonds is a book that makes us think. It makes us question the expected and consider our own decision making. I think we all need books like this to make us pause and remember the impact our decisions and voices can make.  
Recommended for readers upper primary and beyond. 

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