Jill K Willisby: Martine Leavitt
Kudos to the National Book Award judges. This gothic tale of romance, generosity and friendship certainly deserved to be a finalist. Set in Medieval England, the book contained both the language pertinent to the time period and the poor village setting.
After losing her way in the forest, the beautiful Keturah, famous for her storytelling ability, must weave an entrancing tale to keep Lord Death at bay. We discover Lord Death is real, not a metaphor for the afterlife. Lord Death challenges her to find love. If she does, he’ll save her. Keturah’s mission is two-fold: she must find love and she must intensify her tale, forcing him to extend her deadline.
The author did an excellent job developing the characters. Keturah’s relationship with her friends reminded me of several buddies who’ve stuck with me through gossip and challenging times. I loved how the author used job descriptions as names—Cook, Choirmaster and Tailor—to keep the readers from forgetting them. I easily envisioned the icy Lord Death, the frightening Soor Lily, and the amiable John Temsland.
The ending caught me by surprise. The author and Keturah both wove delightful tales.
Have you read this book? If so, what did you think? If not, do you have a book you’d like to recommend to me?
Elise Haroldson
Carol Eaton
Gretchen Carlson
Sounds like an intriguing book. The Canterbury Tales didn’t grab my attention, but I’ll check this out.
It’s nothing like The Canterbury Tales. Promise!
This sound very intriguing.
It is. I really think you’d like it.
This sounds like yet another awesome book I am now going to pick up from the library!
Are your libraries open? Those in Georgia are still closed. But, we can still download eBooks!
Let me know what you think of it!