If you forget your library card, my library makes you pay them a dollar to check out books. I don’t usually forget my library card, because it’s kept on my phone by an app called KeyRing designed for people like me who forget things and lock themselves out of things. But if I forget my phone, well, no card. I found myself in exactly this predicament when I spotted The Forgotten Sisters on the New Books shelf. I did not hesitate for even a moment. I grabbed it and raced to the desk, willing to pay the forfeit just so that I could have the book. Of course, chances are if I don’t have my phone, I also haven’t brought my wallet. Luckily, the children’s librarian understood my plight and checked it out to me anyway. The begging was worth it. The book is terrific.
With Danland on the brink of war, Miri is sent to tutor some of the king’s nearest female relations. In hopes of securing an alliance with their would-be aggressor, Danland plans on offering one of them as a bride for the king of Stora. Nervous and insecure, Miri accepts her task, terrified that she is not imposing or regal enough to serve as a royal tutor. When she arrives she finds the girls are not at all what she had expected and that she has nearly as much adapting to do as her pupils.
Miri remains the strong, warm girl that you remember, but Hale’s new characters positively crackle with energy. It’s a great thing to look at the characters across the whole series and see the number of different ways that feminine strength is displayed. The variety of skills and talents and abilities will resonate with readers for certain. There are a few twists and turns in this one that I would never dare spoil for you but will have you racing to the finish.
Age Recommendation: Grades 4 and up. I think this book is less politically complex than its predecessor and therefore might be accessible to a slightly younger audience. I would expect it to be best enjoyed from Grade 5 straight up through adult!
Sex, Nudity, Dating – Girls find boys handsome. People become betrothed and seek parental permission for betrothals. There is kissing and people say I love you. Sailors tell tales of women that make Miri blush. A girl must marry a foreign king she has never met. People hold hands. There’s talk of being allowed to choose your mate. There’s a mention of a woman getting with child although she was unmarried.
Profanity – None.
Death, Violence and Gore – War arrives. A soldier carries a pistol. In the past there was a civil war where neighbor butchered neighbor. A brother condemned his sister to death; she was beheaded. There’s talk of mothers who died, bloodily killed. A cayman attacks. Muskets are mentioned. There’s a joke about a mass public execution. Girls mention they could cut someone up for meat. A girl stabs a rat through the back of the head. Someone is bitten by a snake. A king has lost 3 of his wives. A child was born without feet and its grandfather tried to kill it. A man is beheaded by a sword, another is shot. There’s some concern that a character may no longer want to live (the implication is that suicide is a possibility). There’s talk that the place may be blown up. A girl is hit, her collarbone broken.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking –There is a type of alcohol called swill.
Frightening or Intense Things – There’s a lot in here about women being forced to give up their children. For many this won’t be a huge deal, but it may be a sensitive topic for anyone who is adopted or has adopted family.
