Book Review of "The Faerie Door" by B.E. Maxwell

From the moment I picked it up I was enthralled by this novel. It tells the story of Victoria Deveny and Elliot Good, two children living in two separate time periods. Victoria, a girl living in late 18^th century England, is staying at her uncle’s house for the summer. Her bold and adventurous ways lead her to discover a magical ring.

The novel soon switches to the perspective of Elliot Good, a boy in 1966. A series of magical events direct him to explore an old Victorian house where he finds his own magical ring. After that, the pace of the plotline quickens. By some extraordinary magic Elliot and Victoria’s paths converge and they find themselves in the enchanted land of the Faeries. There they are sent by the Faerie Queen on separate quests into separate realms, both quests equally perilous. Victoria and Elliot must rely on the magic of their Faerie friends and their rings to protect them, but the great evils they face may be too vast even for the Faerie Queen.

B.E. Maxwell’s style of writing is compelling and unique. It reminds me of someone telling a tale to enthralled listeners by the fire, or a scribe recounting a magical history that really occurred. He uses plenty of words I had not come across before, or if I had I had completely forgotten them. As I read I kept an index card and a pen nearby so I could jot down words to look up in the dictionary. His vivid descriptions transported me not only to another time but to other worlds: worlds that abound with faeries, ogres, dragons and magic! I could hardly put the book down. However, I recommend this novel for young adult readers and not to children.

Inspirations 4 Writing

I was greatly inspired by B.E. Maxwell’s knack of  describing magical things and places as if they were real and he had seen them. He made you feel as if you were there, experiencing the wonders of an enchanted land. I hope you also are inspired in your own writing to imagine something so vividly and then describe it so well that the reader can picture it clearly in his mind’s eye. 

Book Review of "Kidnapped" by Robert Louis Stevenson

This classic book by Robert Louis Stevenson begins with young David Balfour setting out to seek  his fortune. He has heard that he has rich relatives but when he arrives at the Balfour estate he finds only his miserly uncle. His uncle wants the family fortune that rightfully belongs to Davie. Unbeknownst to Davie he arranges for his nephew’s kidnapping. David soon finds himself tied hand and foot in the bottom of a ship bound for distant shores where they plan to sell David into slavery. However, when the crew allows on board a man named Alan Breck Stewart,  David’s future swiftly takes another turn. A battle, a shipwreck, and  the famous Appin murder; this is what you will find in the book’s following pages. David and Alan Breck are wrongfully accused of the murder and must “take to the heather” to escape from the hands of the King’s soldiers. Dogged by those who seek his life, will David ever gain his inheritance?

Written by the author of “Treasure Island,” this book is a must-read! Almost as soon as I started it I found it impossible to put down. Set in Scotland, this stunning piece of historical fiction weaves fact with fiction, imaginary characters with real people. For instance, while David Balfour is fictional,  Alan Breck truly lived. I think the question you must ask yourself when writing historical fiction is “What if?” What if the real Alan Breck met a boy named David Balfour? What if they were both accused of the same crime? What if….? This is how a story begins!

Inspirations 4 Writing

Settle on a favorite time-period. Research people who lived in the past and whom you admire. Now, write a story that involves these actual people and also ones that you create yourself. Write about events that really occurred and couple them with ones that exist only in your imagination. Let the fun began!        

Book Review of "Wonderstruck" by Brian Selznick

Wonderstruck is written by the author of “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” which is now a major motion picture. Sections of both stories are told solely with the author's own illustrations, while the remainder of the book is in words, the style unique to Brian Selznick.
Wonderstruck begins with the story of Ben Wilson, a boy in 1977 grieving the death of his mother. Suddenly it goes back 50 years to a girl named Rose in the 1920’s. Rose’s story is unfolded in Brian Selznick’s beautiful black and white illustrations; the novel continues to alternate between the two character’s lives, one life told in pictures, the other described with words.
In 1977, Ben has a terrible accident that robs him of the sense of hearing. Back in 1927, you learn Rose is deaf as well. The similarities between the two children continue throughout the book. At last the parallels culminate in one surprising discovery. 

The thing about this book that I especially appreciated was how it entered into the mind of Ben. You got to experience a bit of life through the eyes of a boy who is deaf. Deeply profound, this book and its characters grabbed my heart from the very beginning. I felt in an indescribable way as if the characters were real. This is one of those rare novels that I will never forget and whose characters will always feel real to me.

Inspirations 4 Writing

What always inspires me about Brian Selznick’s writing are the characters he creates. The details of their emotions, their innermost thoughts, their habits, their likes and dislikes all work together to make them become real to the reader.

Book Review of "The Two Princesses of Bamarre" by Gail Carson Levine

This book is a tale of two sisters: Adelina and Meryl, the princesses of the magical land of Bamarre. Meryl is blonde and brave. She longs to go on quests to battle the ogres, dragons, gryphons, and specters that plague their land.  Adelina is dark-haired and timid. She is afraid of everything; from monsters right down to spiders. One day something occurs that will change the course of both sisters lives forever. Meryl falls ill to the Gray Death, an incurable disease that strikes suddenly and takes swiftly. Adelina knows there is a cure out there somewhere. Propelled by a love that is stronger than fear she embarks on a quest to save her sisters life.   

Written by the author of Newbery Medal winner “Ella Enchanted,” this story is one of my favorite fantasy novels. It combines fantastical creatures and occurrences with the relatable story of a sibling bond that is so strong it is unbreakable. What touched me most about this story is the love that Adelina has for Meryl, a love that moves her to do above and beyond what she thought she could. This novel is sure to move you, excite you, and enchant you in a way that only the best fantasy authors can.

Inspirations 4 Writing

Consider writing a story about a relationship between two or more people: siblings, friends, etc. Don’t merely state in your story that these characters love each other so much they would do anything for each other. Have the characters demonstrate this by their actions, as Adelina demonstrated it by risking her own life for her sister. Actions often speak louder then words. 

Book review of "In Search of Honor" by Donna Lynn Hess

 “In Search of Honor” is a stunning piece of Christian Fiction that grabs your attention and does not let go. The main character in the story is Jacques Chenier, a young man who lives in the chaotic times that mark the outset of the French Revolution. At age 15 Jacques is already known as a master sculptor, yet he is angry and bitter about life. He holds the nobility responsible for the death of his parents and he longs for revenge. Yet another part of him also longs for peace and tranquility of heart. His actions and the actions of those around him cause him to encounter people and places he would never have predicted coming across: everything and everyone from a cell in the dreaded Bastille to such leaders of the Revolution as Georges Danton and Robespierre. 

This book is a wonderful example of how a deep message can be communicated through the form of exciting historical fiction. In his adventures Jacques comes to question what is more important; the honor and recognition of man or the honor that only God gives. This is the kind of story that you will want to tell everyone about as soon as you complete it.

Inspirations 4 Writing

 Be inspired in your own writing by how Donna Lynn Hess can intrigue you, entertain you, and teach you through her writing. I was certainly inspired by the message she was able to portray in the story of young Jacques. Instead of telling you what God does in the life of an individual she showed you what He could do, all through a fictional character in an historical setting.   

Book Review of "After the Dancing Days" by Margaret I. Rostkowski

This book paints a poignant picture of how things were like just after the first world war, or “after the dancing days.” Annie is a 13-year-old girl who has just been reunited with her dad after he was away for over a year because of the war. Right before she is reunited with him at the train station, she sees a veteran soldier carried off the train on a stretcher: his face had somehow been totally deformed. Nothing about him looked normal, until he opened his eyes, which were a deep brown, just like her own. Try as she might, from that moment on Annie cannot forget that ravaged face or those eyes. By chance, she meets up with this soldier again at a hospital. Though others might shun him because of his appearance, Annie decides she wants to pursue a friendship with the young soldier, angry and bitter as he is about the war.

This book illustrates in a tangible way what can happen when a person looks beyond the forbidding exterior of another person and down into that person’s heart. Oftentimes, if one decides to brave the things about a person that make him or her seem unapproachable, a wonderful friendship can blossom as a result. This book is a must-read for all historical-fiction fans.

Inspirations 4 Writing

An author’s use of words in describing things often are what makes those descriptions so memorable. The author of “After the Dancing Days” carefully used words that made you picture everything vividly. She did not use too many words. She did not use too few. Be inspired by this. See how you can choose words in your own writing that capture the essence of what you are trying to say. Make each word count.

Book review of "A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray" by Ann M. Martin

This unique novel is the first-person account of a stray dog who relates her life to you, beginning with her puppy years and ending when she is an elderly dog. With the progression of the story you become increasingly attached to Squirrel, the lost puppy whose mother left one day and never returned. Squirrel and her brother Bone must survive on their own in the world, attempting to stay far from danger and find food, as best as two small puppies can.

The heartwarming story of a stray dog is a deceptively simple one. At first it seems merely a children’s bedtime story, but this well-written tale is bound to intrigue people of all ages, even some adults.  Many times  it is the story that begins with a relatively simple idea and plotline that develops into a well-loved book. I hope this book encourages writers that you do not have to have a lofty and complicated plotline to have a book that will be cherished forever. 

Inspirations 4 Writing

Be inspired with how the author took a simple idea and made a heartwarming story out of it. Think of something relatively simple: a boy who builds a tree house, a lost cat, a girl who wants a doll, etc. Then write a story about it connecting your readers with the characters in a very real way.

Book review of "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan

Homeless Bird is about a thirteen-year-old girl in India named Koli. Her family is too poor to feed her anymore, so they go with what is to them the obvious solution: marry her off to someone who will have the money to care for her. Koli is told they have found a suitable match, but she does not meet her future husband until the wedding day. She quickly discovers that her new husband has a fatal illness. Soon, he dies, and Koli is left a widow in a culture that treats widows not much better then animals. But Koli is not about to be beaten down by the cold, hard laws of tradition. Join her on a journey in which she not only prevails against adversity, but discovers true love.

I enjoyed this book so much I read it in one day. The theme of many of the books I like best is about a character who must battle against enormous odds such as culture and come out the victor. Much of the time such stories, like Homeless Bird, are sad or even tragic, but also heartwarming. Though the story does not began in the most uplifting of settings, the character does not allow this to control the rest of their lives. In the ensuing struggles, they most often discover a courage inside of themselves they did not know existed.

Inspirations 4 Writing

• The theme of a battle with adversity is often very memorable. What about Koli’s own battle sticks with you the most?
•  Try to write a story in a way that is as memorable as Homeless Bird. Be inspired by how Gloria Whelan connects you in a very real way with her character. Analyze what makes you feel this way about Koli. Attempt to create characters as life-like and relatable as Koli.

Book Review of "Number the Stars" by Lois Lowry

 Annemarie Johansen is a young blonde-haired girl who lives in Copenhagen during WWII with her parents and her little sister. Annemarie’s closest friend is Ellen, a Jewish girl her own age. Despite food rations and other inconveniences brought about by the war and the fact that Nazis walk the streets of Copenhagen, the girls live fairly happy and secure lives. The first signs that Annemarie and Ellen’s lives are about to be transformed come when the Nazis began to relocate the Jews who live in their town. It will not be long before they will relocate Ellen and her family. Annemarie must do all she can to protect her best friend from the merciless actions of Hitler.

Alone, Annemarie can do nothing to save her friend, or any other Jewish people. Further, how can anyone stand up to the terrifying power of the Nazi regime? It is only by working and standing together that the world was able to at last defeat the Nazis. I believe this principle can be used in any sort of conflict against evil. If people stand firm and labor together for a common cause, they can accomplish almost anything.

Story Prompters

Write a story in which an individual discovers that one cannot fight against evil alone. That person can also discover that he or she is significant in the overarching scheme of the resistance. Are the evil forces that the characters fight a real struggle from history? Or is it an imaginary situation, based either in the future or in an imaginary land?  

Book Review of “Nory Ryan’s Song” by Patricia Reilly Giff

This poignant tale is told through the eyes of Nory, a young Irish girl in 1845 who has a love for music. Nory and her family cannot foresee that their life in a cottage on land owned by the English Lord Cunningham is about to change. Lord Cunningham sees the tenants on his property as obstacles, not people. He raises taxes on their land and hopes to someday rid the land of them, raze their cottages to the ground, and use their farmland as pastureland for sheep. As if the taxes were not bad enough a blight strikes the potatoes, ruining the Irish people’s main source of food. Nory, along with the whole of Ireland, is plunged into an unimaginable crisis. Will Nory be able to pull herself and her family through the hard times ahead?  

One of the reasons so many people starved to death during the Irish potato famine is that the English lords who owned the land that most Irish people lived on took away any other source of food they had like pigs and chickens. Without potatoes or livestock, they had nothing to support themselves with. I cannot help but wonder if things would have gone differently if the land lords would have acted in a different manner towards their tenants.

Story Prompters

What other tragic events in history could have ended up differently if different choices had been made? Write a piece of historical fiction illuminating the mistakes that were made which caused the tragedy to happen. 

Book Review  of “The Great and Terrible Quest” by Margaret Lovett

This novel is a long-time favorite of mine. Trad, a boy in medieval times, is an orphan who lives with his abusive grandfather. One day when he is out hunting Trad stumbles across a knight with wild white hair who has recently received a head wound and is apparently suffering from amnesia. All the poor man knows is he his on a quest…a quest both great and terrible. However, he cannot remember what the quest is for. Trad makes the decision to run away from his grandfather and aid the knight on his quest, hoping that the knight will find the key to unlock his memory. Soon Trad finds himself involved in something far greater then he at first thought, something that might not only unlock the white-haired knight’s past, but his own.

I love how this book is a quest for identity, remembering or discovering for the first time who you are and what is your lineage. Filled with danger, sword fighting, and secret identity, this is a masterpiece you will want to read again and again.

Story Prompters

• Write a story about someone who has no idea what his lineage is or where he fits in. Write about this person’s journey in which he discovers his past.
• With anything you write make sure to include details that make it believable, whether it  is fantasy, historical fiction, or science fiction.

Book Review of "Master Cornhill" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Book Review of “Master Cornhill” by Eloise Jarvis McGraw.

This novel abounds with vivid descriptions of life and people in the times just after the great plague in London as seen through the eyes of young Michael Cornhill, a lad of eleven. Michael is an orphan. He has no family and has no home to stay at, but Michael’s innocent and trusting ways will soon earn him friends, and more than one temporary home. But will he ever find a place to permanently call his own? When the great ravaging fire of 1666 sweeps through London, this possibility seems doubtful.

I absolutely love the writings of Eloise Jarvis McGraw. All of her historical fiction novels are full of authentic details, almost as if she herself once lived through the historical periods she describes. “Master Cornhill” is no exception. Using her incredible talent of bringing people and places to life, McGraw creates a host of characters that you will never forget.

Story Starter Ideas

• Choose a person you know or a place you enjoy being at and describe it in such a way that someone reading it feels almost as if he or she knows the person you are speaking of, or has been to the place you are describing.
•  Choose a significant moment in history, research it, and describe it through the eyes of a fictional character. Slip in authentic facts about the times in such a way that readers feel as if you are so familiar with that time you must have lived through it yourself. 

Book Review of "The Good Master" by Kate Seredy

Book Review of “The Good Master” by Kate Seredy.

This book, a winner of the Newbery Honor, chronicles the summer adventures of Jancsi, a young Hungarian boy, and his cousin Kate. Kate is sent by her father to the ranch owned by Jancsi’s father to “recuperate” after an illness. Jancsi and his family are expecting a docile lamb of a girl. What they get is more like a wild untamed colt. Janci’s father, sometimes called “the Good Master,” is used to taming horses. Now it is up to him to tame Kate.

I appreciated how Kate Seredy’s delightful tale shows how love-directed discipline does worlds more of good to train up an untamed child, (or an untamed horse,) then the use of discipline inflicted in anger. Also, that a child left without discipline turns out headstrong and stubborn. The approach of Jancsi’s father is not to break the will of the horses he handles, or the niece who eventually comes under his roof, but to direct and refine it.

Kate Seredy’s use of good vocabulary and the entertaining escapades of Kate and Jancsi make this book a joy to read.

Story Starter Ideas:

Write a story about two or more friends, siblings, or cousins who are spending their summer together. What character flaws show themselves during their adventures together? Are these flaws ultimately overcome? If so, how are they overcome?   

Book Review of “The Bronze Bow” by Elizabeth George Speare.

This book for young adults was awarded the Newbery medal in 1962 and is a long-time favorite of mine.

Daniel is a Galilean orphan in the time of the Roman occupation of Israel. The only family he’s known for five years is the group of bandits he has come to live with. They share his hatred of Roman rule. His father was brutally killed by the Romans and his mother died soon after. Daniel lives and breathes to revenge the death of his parents. He desires to free his country of Roman rule and daily nurses his deep hatred of the Romans. His sister Leah, though young and beautiful, is believed to be possessed by demons. When she was five, she witnessed the crucifixion of her father and was never the same. She grew up with a profound fear of people and from that day on she would not set foot outside of the house. Everyone believed her to be possessed by demons and left her well-enough alone. Daniel holds the Roman’s responsible for his sister’s wrecked life.

At this time a carpenter named Jesus is astonishing people with his wisdom. Carpenters are not supposed to know the law as thoroughly as this man does. But not only does he know the law, he explains things about God in a way that makes the common people understand him. When Daniel looks at Jesus, he sees a man who is popular with a large following. A man who would make the perfect leader in a war against the Romans. 

But Jesus has no hatred of the Romans. Instead, love characterizes everything he says and does. It will be a long road for Daniel before he begins to understand self-sacrificing love, and the command to even love one’s enemies.

This is an excellently written story that takes hold of the reader’s attention and opens up the heart and mind of its young protagonist Daniel. I liked how it stressed how one must not only have love for one’s family member’s, but also one’s enemies, a truth we might sometimes tend to forget. But an undertone remained in the book that sounded almost as if the author might be saying that because we ought to love our enemies, war is not a good thing. I don’t entirely agree with this. I don’t like war for the wrong reasons. War between nations is grim, but is unfortunately at times a necessity; a belief I mentioned in my previous review on “The Shining Company.”  In WWII for instance, the world could not stand back and let Hitler, whose mind was certainly intent on war for the wrong reasons, slaughter innocent Jews. We had to do something about it. But how does fostering hatred for the enemy help anything? It only robs you of joy and fills you with grief and bitterness, as it does Daniel. But the miracle of forgiveness for your enemies can be yours, through Jesus Christ. God does indeed care deeply for each and every one of us. War is a part of this fallen world we live in but I believe that God will someday restore this world to what it was meant to be.

 I could write much more on this discussion about the Bronze Bow, but I will force myself to finish now by saying that it is a great read and is entertaining as well as educational. Please read it for yourself and form your own opinions on its contents.

Story Starter Ideas: Reconciliation between enemies is a great theme for a story. Write a story about two nations or two individuals who are at enmity with each other. What is the disagreement between them? How does this conflict resolve itself? Will their be a bringing together of former enemies? How is this reconciliation accomplished?    

Book Review of "The Shining Company" by Rosemary Sutcliff

Book Review of “The Shining Company” by Rosemary Sutcliff 

Set in seventh-century medieval Britain, this book is based on a true account about the company of 300 soldiers and 600 shield bearers who fought against the invading Saxons. It is related through the eyes of a young man named Prosper. Though he is fictional, Sutcliff made me feel as if  Prosper was a young man who lived in reality. This is an important skill that not all authors posses.

Prosper desires to be a shield bearer to the prince Gorthyn, who in a short time he has come to admire with that allegiance that would cause him to follow Gorthyn to the death in battle. At age sixteen, his desire to be the prince’s shield bearer is granted. He accompanies Gorthyn when he and 300 other brave and noble men are called upon by king Mynyddog to train for battle against the ferocious Saxon invaders.
Grueling training strengthens not only the company of soldier’s skills in warfare, but the camaraderie they feel for each other. They develop into a fighting brotherhood that comes to be known as “The Shining Company.”
At last, the company is set loose against the Saxons. They find themselves greatly outnumbered. Prosper begins to believe that none of them will escape this war alive.

Using her incredible art of making characters spring to life from the pages of her book, Rosemary Sutcliff caused me to become increasingly attached to the brave young men of the Shining Company. She made me feel the emotions of Prosper as he also becomes attached to these men, and the desolation that is aroused when close friends are killed in battle. She made me see the soldiers and shield bearers of the Shining Company not as a nameless mass of men who fought long ago, but as individuals, men with names and lives and loved ones.

I feel that Sutcliff captures both the ugliness and the honor of war. War is a grim necessity at times. It is often horrible. But disregarding themselves, many soldiers both of the Shining Company and in today’s time go into battle, sacrificing their very lives to protect the lives of their countrymen.
Profoundly penetrating, moving, and at times deeply tragic, “The Shining Company” is one of those books I don’t think I will ever forget. I recommend this book for teens and adults.

Story Starter Ideas

• Is there a significant moment of history that enthralls you? Research it further and then write a story about a person involved in this moment. Imagine you are that person. Try to make history come alive. Be accurate and be detailed. Cause your readers to feel as if they have just stepped into a time machine and were transported to that historical event.
• Is there a group of people in history you feel have been viewed by some in the past or in the present as a nameless mass? Write the story of individual members of this group. Make your readers see them as who they are: human beings.  Perhaps you can write about a group of  people being persecuted for their beliefs, or other people who are being treated wrongly because of their nationality. Christians in communist Russia? Jews being sent to concentration camps during WWII? African Americans in slavery? The German residents of the U.S. during WWII who were sent to camps?  Or you could write about individual soldiers who fought in a war that has occurred in history.  There are so many opportunities to make people from the past come to life as real individuals.

Book review of “The Gammage Cup” by Carol Kendall

Within a ring of impenetrable mountains, 12 villages inhabited by the Minnipins, or “Small Ones,” are safely concealed from all danger.

Or so the Minnipins think.

A few people believe differently. They actually think that their enemies may be attempting to invade the valley. But these individuals are considered eccentric at the best of times and this just sounds plain crazy. Of course they are safe. Haven’t they always been? The particular Minnipins who dare to disagree dress far differently then the customary Minnipin code of dress, which is dull brown and dark green. They enjoy wearing bright colors and don’t hold to any ordinary sort of work. Why, they paint pictures and even search for fabled buried treasure! When they go so far as to stand up against the long venerated council of the town, it is considered too much and they are kicked out of the village. While in exile, these courageous outlaw friends discover the reality of the plot to eradicate the Minnipins. It looks like they might just have to be responsible for attempting to save their kind from total destruction.        

Behind the cover of an imaginative children’s fantasy Kendall hides a much deeper message. She portrays how ridiculous it is to scorn those who are different from us. The Minnipins hold on to tradition just because it is tradition. Because certain things have always been held for truth, (like green is the only proper color to paint your door, shame on you if you don’t,) well then, it must be true! But Kendall tries to demonstrate the deception of this statement. The Minnipins are in need of a change. They are far too self-important and unwilling to listen to the truth about things when it comes their way.

They remind me a bit of some of the Puritans in the 1600’s. Some Puritans thought it scandalous if anyone wore bright colors because they had grown up thinking this way and believed it must be true. They even went to the extent of killing people who disagreed with some of their beliefs. I think it is so important to test what you believe against what is solid truth. It is also important to not shrink from holding fast to the truth just because others will ridicule you if you do. If it is true and worth standing firm on, then it will prove itself true in the long run, even if others do not think it will.

Story Starter Ideas:

• Think of an issue or struggle in our present day, or even in the past, that you think should be addressed, such as bigotry. Create a fantasy world with a problem that resembles the real-life concern at hand. Demonstrate why the problem is wrong and should be ended.
• Come up with characters as flavorful as the ones in The Gammage Cup. If you have a hard time coming up with characters from thin air, use real people’s personalities as your basis.

           

Book Review of “A Parcel of Patterns”

Though this book by Jill Patton Walsh appears small, each page is a bounty of rich words that spin a true story in Puritan times, told from the viewpoint of Mall, a fictional character in the 1660’s.
Mall lives in the small village of Eyam, located in Derbyshire England. Her life is fairly simple, the most complex facets it contains being when a ewe in her flock of sheep has birth complications, and her fear that her father will not approve of the man she has fallen in love with. Then when an innocent appearing parcel of patterns appears on the doorstep of one of the village residents, the whole village is plunged into a traumatic experience beyond what they would have dared conceive, even in their nightmares. For the innocent parcel of patterns purchased from London had carried with it that terrible disease, the plague. It spreads rapidly through the village, people falling sick with it and dying at an appalling rate.

The two parsons of the village hold opposing views of the reasons why people fall sick with the plague. One believes that people are struck ill by the wrath of God, a punishment for concealed wickedness of heart. The other believes that we cannot comprehend why God does what He does, but that it is not punishment that people are dying. He thinks that exposure to the plague is why villagers are becoming sick. But in his attempt to get as far away as possible from the Puritan idea that if you are righteous, God will protect you from all calamities, he seems to be implying that God won’t protect you at all.
Out of fear, most of the villagers’ side with the parson who tells them that repentance will protect them from harm.
What view would you hold, if you were a villager of Eyam? Would you agree with either parson?
I would definitely not recommend this book for children, but rather for young adults about age 13 and up. The details of the plague are so gruesome that I had to take a break from reading it at one point. I had grown sick of people falling sick. It was gripping enough however, that I soon picked it up where I had left off and completed it. It held my attention to the very end and is a well wrought piece of informative historical fiction.

Story Starting Ideas:

• Research Puritans in the 1660’s and Puritan beliefs.
• Write a story from the first-person viewpoint of a resident in a Puritan village. Does this person agree or disagree with the teaching of the village parson?
• Write a simple story of everyday life in a Puritan village.
• Go deeper and research Quaker’s beliefs and how Puritan’s treated Quakers in 1666. Not pretty, is it? Perhaps you can write about a Quaker in exile because of his/her beliefs.

You can purchase this book on Amazon