Synopsis
Abandoned and then raised in the forest by the elderly woman who rescued her, Ceridwen uses her magical healing powers to help Lord Robert, only to find herself accused of witchcraft and braving evil powers to rescue the lord's daughter.
Reviews
Set in Britain during the Middle Ages, this well-crafted story centers on Ceridwen, a Wise Woman who can heal sickness with herbs. When she becomes the chief companion to a nobleman's daughter, a jealous rival accuses Ceridwen of witchcraft. the course of defending her reputation, Ceridwen discovers that she does indeed possess immense magical abilities. Amoss weaves the threads of familiar folktales into a boldly original narrative. Depictions of intrigue and day-to-day life in a feudal castle provide a colorful, realistic backdrop to this fantastical tale. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From the author of The Mockingbird Song (1988), a tale that's a curious contrast to Napoli's The Magic Circle (p. 789). Ceridwen is also a healer whose powers, extended for laudable motives, lead her to a witch's fiery end. A foundling raised by one old woman and taught herb lore by another, she finds an honorable place in Lord Robert's castle after fortuitously saving his life; she cares deeply for his little daughter Elinor after the girl's frail mother's death, which Ceridwen is unable to avert. That loss, an older family retainer's jealousy, and a complicated sequence of accusations and heroic but misunderstood attempts to keep Elinor from the Plague (everyone else has been exposed) lead Ceridwen to a witch's pyre--from which she escapes only as a bird. The setting, late-medieval Britain, is more convincingly detailed than the story's magical component. It's not clear what's magic here and what's effective medicine or only the power of suggestion; even the strength of the crucial last scene is dissipated by the uncertainty between its literal and metaphorical readings. And whereas The Magic Circle ends with the triumph of a richly complex spirit over inexorable evil, Ceridwen's story never quite comes into focus. Still, it's accessible and may be a bridge to Napoli--and to Hendry's Quest for a Maid (1990). (Fiction. 10-14) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Gr. 5-7. Amoss' story, set in the Middle Ages, focuses on an abandoned waif adopted by an old wisewoman who discovers that the child, Ceridwen, is the descendant and namesake of a talented spellmaker. After telling Ceridwen, "You are your name and your name is you," the old woman instructs the youngster in the use of herbs and healing powers, warning her never to use magic without a purpose. After she cures Lord Robert, Ceridwen takes up residence in the lord's castle and becomes "the Wise Woman of Bedevere." Although she quickly gains the confidence and love of Lord Robert's wife and daughter, Dame Bewick, the governess, is another matter. Insanely jealous and in love with Lord Robert, Dame Bewick is determined to undermine Ceridwen's power, reduce her to ashes, and become the lady of the castle. With deft characterizations, a taut plot, and absorbing conflicts, Amoss' satisfying story is a pleasant blend of fantasy and history. Fast-paced action right up to the very last sentence. Deborah Abbott
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