True & Faithful
I finished A True and Faithful Narrative by Katherine Sturtevant, and thanks go to mwt for recommending it. It's the story of Meg, a 16-year-old working in her father's bookstore in London in the 1680s. Meg wants to be a writer but, because of the constraints of the time period, must hide her stories from her father, who disapproves of women authors. Her friend's brother, Edward, comes to see her as he is leaving to go to Italy on family business. He declares his affection for Meg, and in a moment she later regrets bitterly, Meg laughs at him and jokes that if she is lucky, he will be kidnapped by pirates. Then, when he returns, they will have an interesting story to write. She blames herself when that is indeed what happens, and she works to right the wrong she feels she has done him.
Meg is a strong main character, and the issues of a woman's place in that society are realistically portrayed, as Meg considers what she sees as her only choice in life--marriage and child-rearing. Edward's character is wonderfully complex, and his narrative vividly describes North Africa and his Muslim captors in a way that surprises Meg. I loved Meg's complicated relationship with her father, which is just one of the ways that the details of the time period are subtly woven into this story. I thought it was brilliant.
What I found most fascinating about the book was how it realistically described the way that ignorance and stereotypes--in this case, about Islam--can be overcome, and I think it is written in a way that will make teen readers think carefully about their own prejudices. I'd recommend it especially to girls, ages 13 and up.
Back to school tomorrow. We'll see.
Meg is a strong main character, and the issues of a woman's place in that society are realistically portrayed, as Meg considers what she sees as her only choice in life--marriage and child-rearing. Edward's character is wonderfully complex, and his narrative vividly describes North Africa and his Muslim captors in a way that surprises Meg. I loved Meg's complicated relationship with her father, which is just one of the ways that the details of the time period are subtly woven into this story. I thought it was brilliant.
What I found most fascinating about the book was how it realistically described the way that ignorance and stereotypes--in this case, about Islam--can be overcome, and I think it is written in a way that will make teen readers think carefully about their own prejudices. I'd recommend it especially to girls, ages 13 and up.
Back to school tomorrow. We'll see.