The writing style, print on the paper (I read the physical book), and weight of each sheet (paying closer attention this after reading The Great Passage) all added signifigantly to the reading of this story. I have to read in spurts and snatches, often between lessons, or while trying to cook dinner, or fold laundry. As you can imagine some of the piles are quite interesting when it is my turn to fold and I have a book I am immersed in. This story - the writing - so immersed me in Kara's adventures - that it took me a minute to reorient myself to the task at hand when I was called away or the pot began to boil over or the tower of laundry spilled off the counter startling me 😏.
The cast of characters are unique - there is Kara - the main character. A young girl of fifteen, she was all but shunned in her family, her village, because of something that happened when she was little more than a toddler. When she was but four years old, she took sick with vermillion fever and grew worse and worse until her breathing stopped. Her family, village formed a funeral procession taking her little body high into the mountains, covering her with herbs and flowers, and leaving her body in a cave. What happened next, no one can say for sure. But something happened, and a moon turn later Kara walked into the village. Healthy and whole, with only the vermillion marks on her cheek reminding others that she really had been sick to the point of death. That and apparently her eyes turned from blue to green. Now, she possesses to ability to call to birds - to connect in thought with them. And others are either terrified of this or hope to use it to their gain, heedless of Kara's heart.
Kara's parents basically trade Kara for a herd of sheep and off she sails with Rog, the King Orrik's own brother. Apparently the King's new lady-love wants Kara to call down the dragons, much like she calls down doves, falcons, hawks... On the ship, Kara meets Kazan and little Rath, but it is not until she lands at the wharf and Gudjen (the King's sister) steps forward to collect her, so that she may be presented to King Orrik, that the story really starts to pull you in.
Now, for Greenglass House. This also has been in TBR for a long time, more than two years I think. I have an audible copy of this book, but I did not like the narrator. I tried to listen a few times, and just could not get past the first five minutes. I really had not planned to read this book this week, but I signed up for it through Libby and have been on the waiting list for the ebook for so long I forgot I was waiting. When it came available this week, I jumped right in.
What a delightful treat this has been.
Milo is a young boy who lives with his two parents Mr. and Mrs. Pine at Greenglass House Inn. They run an inn, a smuggler's inn to be more precise. The story opens with Milo finishing up his homework so that he can really relax and enjoy Christmas break. All is set to go according to plan, until the bell rings late one snowy night, a few days before Christmas.
No one is supposed to come, no one ever comes this time of year.
Milo is not happy. Imagine how not happy he is when the bell rings two more times and someone also decides to sprint up the winding snow covered stairs to bring a total of five quests who aren't quite sure how long they are staying and prove to be a shifty bunch. The real adventure begins when one of the Inn's employees agrees to return to help out, bringing her daughters in tow: Lizzy (an amazing baker) and Meddy (a girl just about Milo's age). Meddy gets Milo to agree to go on a "campaign", to play a role playing game. Their initial goal was to get to the bottom of who in the world are the five guests, why are they there (especially this time of year), and who is the thief who keeps taking things that do NOT belong to them???
I love books where the house itself is also considered as part of the cast of characters. This book is fabulous. It is so well written, the stories within stories are superb and serve as a way to draw you even deeper into the mystery and intrigue. I love that Milo is adopted (I too am adopted). Milo really struggles - strives to know who he really is. I think that struggle in inate in all of us, no matter how loved we are, there is always that niggling feeling, deep inside, of 'who am I' and 'where did I come from' and 'who were my people, before these people became my people'.
I am sorry to bade this week's selections farewell, they were so utterly delightful.
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