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The Mother Tongue by Teri Holbrook is a classic mystery novel.
The book begins with Ilene Parker who introduces the Nguyen family-- a Vietnamese family.... one of the only families in Statlers Cross that isn't white. The family consists of grandmother, mother (Le) and daughter (Chau).
Ilene doesn't seem to serve a purpose other than to introduce the Nguyen family... she doesn't get mentioned again until later in the book.
There are many characters within the book... most serve as red herrings.
The most important are:
Gale Grayson who lives with her daughter Katie Pru her grandmother Ella Alden.
Gale has just returned from London because her husband Tom commited suicide. Ella is the spunky elder of Statlers Cross and Katie Pru is a very precocious child.
Then there is Daniel Halford who is the new detective in town... he is also from the UK... he knows Gale. He also takes a liking to her. They become very close in the book.
Ella shares her home with a young woman Nadianna, as well, who has a baby boy named Michael... whom she named for a person who told her Michael was a mistake.
Nadianna's love interest Ron Goddard finds this reasoning a bit strange. Ron is a linguist from the UK who is studying the Keast family because he believes that their dialect is closer to his grandfather's than his is.
Then there is Sally Robertson who owns and operates a Tea Room... one of the only businesses of interest in Statlers Cross. This is where the MMMM's (The Monday Morning Militant Mothers) meet and gossip. Le Nguyen works here as chef.
The plot really begins when a car is found on the borders of Sarah Gaines' property.... with 3 dead bodies in it. Darrell Murphey... the mayor's son. Stuart Keast... and Tuan Nguyen. Darrell was shot with a shotgun in the head and Stuart in the jugular. They were both in the front seat... it seemed unexpected. Tuan, however, being a small vietnamese man was tied up in the back seat floorboard. He had been shot with a .22 gage gun.... it was odd that two different weapons were used in the murder. Marcus Siler reports the murder.. says he was out hunting when he came across the car.
This murder starts a chain of events within the small town of Statlers Cross. Le quits her job. She turns against the town... a town that had already grieved her enough... because she had painted her house toy truck blue. It turns out that blue, in the vietnamese culture, was a color of optimism and royalty and prosperity... the white families of Statlers Cross didnt understand.
Gale and Sally visit Le to offer their condolences but it ends bad when Le strikes Gale.
As the murder is being investigated by Alby Truitt.... the sherriff in town.... other events occur.
This includes a romance with Gale and Daniel and the romance with Nadianna and Ron. Ron takes to Nadianna because she is a photographer and he needs one for his linguist interviews. One night... when Nadianna is with Ron... she sees a truck with 2 headed serpents on the brake lights zoom by and then she hears a crash and an explosion. The Nguyen home had been firebombed. Gale took the Nguyens in. Chau and Katie Pru became friends.
It turns out that Marcus Siler was the guilty party in the firebombing.
One day while Ron and Nadianna are off at the Keasts' home for an interview of Rosen Keast... Daniel is back home watching Michael for Nadianna. Nadianna realizes she left her camera at home although she told Ron she left her light meter. Gale brings her camera. (Ron doesnt like Gale... tells Nadianna that she is holding her back.) Gale shows up and Nadianna is trying to get away because Ron is becoming violent. Ron shoots Gale in the collar bone... Gale plays dead. Ron admits to the murder of Darrell and Stuart and tells her that they had killed Tuan earlier for this cult like thing that Tom and Ron had started. It was called "In Gaia's Name" Gale hears everything.... and just as Ron is about to shoot her again..... Nadianna sees Ron explode in front of her.... Rosen shot Ron with her shotgun.. while screaming: YOU KILLED MY BOY! (Stuart)
MEANWHILE:::: Daniel was rummaging through Ron's house... this is where he was watching Michael... for some music for Michael... and he came across some tapes... some 'stalkerish' videos of a pregnant Gale Grayson and Tom. Apparently.. Tom killed himself in order to protect his family.
In the end... Le and Sally open up a tea room in Athens.
Daniel decides to stay with Gale... :) <3
Rosen gets off easy--- because she cant be blamed for killing the man who admited to killing her son.
***THIS IS THE BRIEFEST OF SUMMARIES.... YOU SHOULD STILL AT LEAST SKIM IT!!!***
**Hope this helps!**
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
"The Mother Tongue" by Teri Holbrook is a book about the importance of valuing and preserving students' home languages and incorporating them into the classroom. Holbrook argues that recognizing and utilizing students' mother tongue can enhance their language development and academic success. It offers practical strategies for educators to promote linguistic diversity and create inclusive classroom environments.
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Rahul Dravid's mother tongue is Kannada.
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Spain does not speak German as a mother tongue. The official language in Spain is Spanish, also known as Castilian.
Why mother tongue language is the first language?
The mother tongue language is usually the first language learned because it is the language spoken at home by parents and other family members. Children are exposed to their mother tongue from a very young age, which makes it the language they are most comfortable with and proficient in. This early exposure to the mother tongue also helps in building a strong foundation for language development.
What is the importance of mother tongue?
Mother tongue is important as it is the first language a person learns, shaping their identity and cultural connections. It helps in cognitive development, promotes effective communication, and preserves cultural heritage and traditions. Maintaining proficiency in one's mother tongue can also help in learning additional languages later on.
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When was The Mother Tongue created?
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How many pages does The Mother Tongue have?
The Mother Tongue has 279 pages.
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Why is 'mother tongue' called 'mother tongue'?
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Spanish is the mother tongue but many do speak English.
What is the ISBN of The Mother Tongue?
The ISBN of The Mother Tongue is 0-380-71543-0.
Is tongue a synonym for language?
Yes it is, tongue and mother tongue as a synonym.
On TV's 24 what is the name of Jack Bauer's wife and Kim's mother?
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