Singer - Softcover

Thesman, Jean

3.3

320 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0142406503 ISBN 13: 9780142406502

Publisher: Firebird, 2006

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Having been hidden in an abbey for years in order to be protected from her evil mother Rhiamon, Gwenore is forced to flee the abbey and change her name after her whereabouts are discovered, but despite a new identity, a king for a husband, and several beautiful children, Gwenore knows that her mother is still out there somewhere and so has to find a way to keep her family safe at all costs. Reprint.

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About the Author:

Jean Thesman lives in Washington State.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 6-10–Gwenore is only 12 when she escapes from her mother, the evil witch Rhiamon, who both hates her daughter and covets the mysterious magical powers symbolized by the birthmark on the girl's wrist. Gwenore travels through medieval England and Wales under secret identities for several years, learning the arts of healing, gardening, and singing. Eventually, she arrives in the Irish kingdom of Lir, where she becomes the beloved teacher and companion of the king's four children. When her power-hungry mother marries the king and turns the children into swans, Mary Singer, as Gwenore is now known, must vanquish Rhiamon and save the children. Loosely based on the Irish folk tale "The Children of Lir," this engaging, well-written novel features a blend of historical fiction and high fantasy that will appeal to fans of both genres. Gwenore's flight from one hiding place to another, under constant threat of discovery by Rhiamon, makes for a dramatic read. Particularly interesting are her experiences in two communities of independent women: first an abbey that functions as a shelter for abused women of all ages, then an estate run by four sisters whose husbands died in the Crusades. Recommend Singer to readers who enjoyed Kevin Crossley-Holland's King of the Middle March (Scholastic, 2004); while that book offers an unforgettable depiction of soldiers' and embattled civilians' lives during the Crusades, Thesman brings to life the everyday struggles of commoners in the years after these bloody wars.–Beth Wright, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, VT
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