Gr 5-9-Gwendoline Riston has always had an affinity with nature, and like her deceased mother, an understanding of the healing properties of plants. But in 17th-century England, her skills set her apart, and when her bargeman father brings news of a plague outbreak in London that threatens to spread to the countryside, the villagers begin to point fingers at the 14-year-old with mutterings of witchcraft. Her father convinces her to hide in a secret chamber in the village church while he heads back down the river to try to track down Jack, his ward who is apprenticed in Oxford. As days turn to weeks and he hasn't returned, Gwendoline must watch with horror from her small attic room as the villagers succumb one after another to the plague. Adding to her turmoil, she discovers that Jack, for whom she has feelings, is betrothed to beautiful Hannah Mullin, whom she must try to nurse back to health when Hannah contracts the disease. The story has a strong beginning, but Graber carries the theme of communing with nature to an extreme, having a white rook befriend Gwendoline and help her in ways that become increasingly far-fetched. If readers are willing to suspend disbelief in regard to the bird, however, the author offers a compelling glimpse into 1665 England. Gwendoline's formal old-English narration adds authenticity to the story, but makes it more challenging for reluctant readers to follow.-Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.
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This "historical fiction" book got a few details right. Charles II and the Bathursts are characters, Puritans are leaving for the New World, cats and dogs were ordered exterminated. So much of this is ridiculous, though. She's hidden in an attic like Anne Frank for no reason. A bird brings her food. It's really dumb. And it's written in what can only be described as a "half-assed attempt at Middle English." ( )