This is one of those books that I can't believe we almost missed. Fortunately a former MSBA member reviewed this and I decided to request it and read it. Wow - this is really something.
Aissa was born to an important lady on her island. She was born with a deformity - extra thumbs - which were removed by her dad right after her birth. But then her dad died the next day seemingly as punishment. So Aissa was sent with a healer to be left to die.
But the healer took Aissa instead to a family who had just lost a child. There she stayed until she was 4 and raiders killed her foster father and kidnapped her foster mother and siblings. The last thing her mother told her was not to make a sound until they were reunited.
And she didn't. Not when she was found, not when she was taken to live with a relative, not when she was abandoned and taken in as a lowly servant. She never said a word. But she listened, learned and dreamed.
Every year her island had to give a boy and girl as tribute to the Bull King. When Aissa was 12 she ended up going (due to another accident orchestrated by the goddess). In her new life she learned not only about bull dancing but also was a priestess for awhile.
Without spoilers I will say that eventually Aissa found her voice and found her rightful place at long last.
The book was part prose and part poetic narrative and was beautifully done.
No comments:
Post a Comment