I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving week! Mine could have been meh, since my sweet teen wasn’t feeling well and had to go into the infusion center at the hospital on Wednesday to get an IV slow-dripped in. However (and I hope this doesn’t make me sound shallow…) early in the visit my agent emailed to say he’s reading my latest manuscript and loving it! So, day made for me. And in truth, since my daughter’s health challenges are ongoing–I believe I’ve mentioned that she has POTS and something akin to EDSh–we’ve accepted that very occasional hospital visits are part of her life. But the chairs were comfortable, the nurses pleasant, and she could play on her phone and share funny videos, so we just hung out till she could go and then went home and made pie. And in a week focused on giving thanks for big and little things, that felt about right! 🙂

Which is the perfect segue into this week’s spotlight on Book of a Thousand Days, by Shannon Hale! This beautiful book will make you grateful not only for food that is safe from rats, but for sunshine and fresh air and safety and friendship and knowledge in ways you may not have ever felt before.

It begins just as Dashti and Saren are being locked up into a tower because Saren–a noble young lady–has refused to marry the man her father has chosen for her, and Dashti as a brand new lady’s maid has agreed to go into the tower and be locked up for sever years so that Saren won’t be alone. The story is a retelling of a lesser known Grimm fairy tale, and takes place on the steppes of central Asia.

The dramatic beginning is followed by the slow unfurling of the girls’ story, as we learn over time why Saren won’t marry the man her father chose–and honestly, a moldering tower is far preferable–and what kind of stuff both girls are made of. Dashti grew up with very little, and is moreover an orphan who has faced starvation in the past, so she sees a well-supplied tower as a great gift. She has work to do to keep her busy, loves to sing, and knows many of the healing songs of her nomadic people and ways to fill the soul with goodness. She has also been taught to write during her training to become Saren’s maid, and so has the company of her own words as she puts them on paper. So, while the tower is difficult for her, at first she fares well.

Saren has been emotionally abused by her father for years, and suffered some physical abuse. She’s also in absolute terror of her would-be husband, and her rank or position imposes a certain degree of idleness. Additionally, she has never learned to read or write and has no talents to speak of beyond her beauty and those minimal skills a lady would need. For her, the tower is just an outer symbol of the way her heart and soul are locked away inside herself, with her terror of the monster she’s supposed to marry keeping her hidden in the dark.

What was fascinating was reading of these two girls’ experience in a small dark tower with new window out. They are paid a handful of visits from both Saren’s unwanted ‘fiance’ and the man she’d picked out for herself, Tegan or the Khan. They battle an infestation of rats, their own isolation, and a threat which could wipe out everyone in the entire nation. Through it all both girls grow, though in very different ways, and Dashti is forced to confront and consider the implications of her position as a lady’s maid and decide what it is she believes is right. Additionally, there are layers upon layers of disguise and deception as the book grows in complexity that I think readers of all ages will get a kick out of!

But enough from me. Let’s hear what Apricot-kitty thought of it:

“Um, aren’t you forgetting someone? How well would the girls have survived without My Lord? There are at least two pivotal moments in the book when My Lord the cat proved absolutely essential help which they girls could not have gone forward without.”

She’s right! And despite her usual tendency to magnify the role of any feline characters, in this case her assertion is absolute truth. If you don’t like cats, you probably shouldn’t read this because My Lord (who is indeed a cat) ranked up there with my most beloved characters and was truly essential to the story. I’d say more, but I abhor spoilers, so instead I’ll just share this pic of Apricot gazing on the book as she thinks of My Lord’s feline perfection!

I do have to admit to one possible caution regarding the book. It’s lovely, and lyrical, and thought-provoking, but some elements will possibly be too mature for certain middle grade readers. This is not to say that kids of younger ages or gentler temperaments should be discouraged from reading it! The implied fears that accompany Saren’s nearly forced marriage are very well nuanced, so younger readers will understood only what they are already able to understand. And while there is a strong undercurrent of danger and a healthy dose of devastation, nothing super graphic takes place on the page in a way that would likely give readers a problem. So let the kids pick it up! But if you suspect them of being on the young side for this book, read along with them and make sure any concerns or questions get answered.

If you’ve read it, tell me what you thought! And tell me what else you’re reading! I always love to hear about new-to-me books.

For more Marvelous Middle Grade Monday spotlights, reviews, giveaways and interviews stop by Greg Pattridge’s blog, and happy reading!

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