Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

Hale, Shannon. Book of a Thousand Days.
Bloomsbury. 2007.
ISBN: 9781599903781.
$17.95. Hardcover. 336 pages.

Readers Annotation
Locked in a tower for seven years with her mistress, Dashti is happy to serve. But when Lady Saren refuses to speak with her betrothed Dashti impersonates her, and she finds herself falling in love with the nobleman.

Plot Summary
16-year-old Lady Saren refuses to marry Lord Khasar, the man her father has chosen for her. As punishment she is locked in a tower with her lady’s maid, Dashti. Told from Dashti’s perpective as entries in a diary, we learn that before she became a maid she was a child of the steppes and orphaned. Because she could sing the healing songs she was trained to become a maid. Pledging herself to her mistress she soon learns that their fate is to be imprisoned together for seven years. Saren is miserable, while Dashti is joyful at having a place to live and food to eat for such a long time. Lady Saren is visited by two suitors. Lord Khasar who thinks the imprisonment will break her, and Khan Tegus from the neighboring city Song for Evela. Saren refuses to speak to either and forces Dhasti to speak to Tegus in her stead. Dhasti discovers that Tegus is as kind as Khasar is cruel. Their imprisonment is cut short by the destruction of the city. Dashti and Saren escape on foot. Together the girls discover that their destinies are more entwined than they had imagined.

Critical Evaluation
Hale’s novel is intriguing. Written in a diary style, it seems like a historic novel although it isn’t. The novel is based on an unknown story by the Brothers Grimm and has a fairytale vibe like her earlier Newbury winning novel The Princess Academy. This novel takes place in ancient central Asia, which has not been explored as story location in any novel I have read. Most critics said that they felt this book was magical, but I am not enamored. I found the story very slow, difficult to follow, and I barely finished it. Dashti is a well-developed character but the book held no surprises. From the beginning I knew how the book was going to end. I loved Hale’s Princess Academy, and her new graphic novel Rapunzel’s Revenge, but I will have difficulty giving this book a solid thumbs up.

Information about the author
Shannon Hale lives with her husband and two small children near Salt Lake City, Utah. She is the author of six young adult novels, and two adult novels. You can find out more about her on her website at http://www.squeetus.com/stage/main.html.

Genre
Fantasy.

Curriculum ties
None.

Challenge Issues
None.

Challenge defense ideas
There are no apparent challenge issues associated with this book. In the case that a challenge comes up, there are some things that you can do to start. You could read the book and become familiar with the content. Refer to the library collection development policy, and get reviews from reputable sources and teens that have read the book. You can find out more about this book on Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/Book-Thousand-Days-Shannon-Hale/dp/1599903784/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260298468&sr=1-1.

Booktalking Ideas
1. Discuss the imprisonment of Dashti and Saren.
2. Talk about their escape from the tower.

Reading Level/Age
Young adult, ages 14 to 17.

Why I included this title
I enjoyed Princess Academy, and Rapunzel’s Revenge and it was recommended by Hicklebee’s Books.