The Book of Atrix Wolfe

by Patricia A. McKillip

A very powerful mage, Atrix Wolfe, finds himself in the middle of a battle that may cost his own kingdom dearly. In the moment and in a bit of a panic, Atrix conjures a terrible entity that causes immediate bloodshed and haunts him as well as individuals in 3 different, consecutive worlds for the next 20 years.

The unlikely hero is a a boy prince who is sent off to a foreign kingdom to learn sorcery to help protect his own kingdom. Talis discovers a book written by Atrix Wolfe, the great mage that hasn't been seen in over 20 years. In trying out some of the magic in the book, Talis unwittingly draws Atrix out of hiding, but it also awakens the powerful and dreadful monster Atrix created. Together Talis and Atrix must destroy the evil.

A parallel and connected storyline involves a Wood Queen whom Talis has fallen in love with and a young girl who is the pot scrubber in Tallis' castle's kitchen.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fantasy and thought it was beautifully written, almost poetic and very descriptive and imaginative. I often had to go back and reread, but in so doing, the pictures formed in my mind were movie quality. I look forward to reading more by this award-winning author.

"Atrix shook his head, wordless again. "There seemed no words," he said finally, "for what I had done. Words were too small..." When trying to ask forgiveness, or give unmeasured thanks, or express deep love words can be too small.

I loved all of Chapter Seven when Saro, the kitchen pot-scrubber, was trying to learn words. She could hear but didn't speak and she needed to find the words to warn Talis. She listened to those working around her, she listened to the sounds of the fire and the wood being burned. "But nothing she ever heard resembled the vision she had seen in the pot. Nor did the human language, scattered constantly throughout the kitchen, suggest the death of the prince."

Book Club

Wow! Book Club went really well. We discussed Ship Fever by Andrea Barrett. In a previous post I mentioned my concern. The biggest complaints were that it was a collection of short stories and they didn't end neatly with all the loose ends tied up. There's were lots of comments, questions and discussion. Someone even commented that they usually only spend 5-10 discussing the book before getting sidetracked. Tonight we spent an hour and a half discussing the book. There were so many insights shared that I found myself liking the book even more.

For next months meeting we are reading One Thousand White Women. It looks like it will be interesting. Has anyone read it?

Ship Fever

by Andrea Barrett
I first read this book in June 2006. I suggested it to my f2f book club because we've never read a collection of short stories. So Tues. evening I will be presenting this book - telling a little about the author, mentioning other books she's written, and leading the discussion of this book. In preparing for this, I've reread all the stories. If anything, I enjoyed them even more the second time around. But I am afraid. If you may remember this is the same book group in which every person hated The History of Love and many hated The Poisonwood Bible - both books I'd recommended.

Science functions as both the subject matter and metaphor in these tales. That's the reason for my fears. With History of Love the group told me they didn't have time to ponder the symbolism; that they wanted to read for pure enjoyment. That's the main reason I read, too, but I think a book we are reading to discuss should have some substance to it, something to sink our teeth into.

Most of the stories are straightforward and enjoyable to read. The fact that they engage the mind is an added benefit. Publisher's Weekly reports, "The quantifiable truths of science intersect with the less easily measured precincts of the heart in these eight seductively stylish tales." Barrett's characters are usually fictional, but they have touched shoulders with people we recognize, such as Mendel, Linneaus, Alfred Wallace; and several we may not know, such as the Canadian doctor who directed the horrendous task of caring for Irish immigrants on Grosse Isle during the typhus epidemic of 1847.

Many of the characters try to prove themselves in both science and love, but are often thwarted by gender, social position, or prevailing order. The stories are engaging and interesting. Some of the best historical fiction I've read and even though one of the themes is science, it's not necessary to have a science background to enjoy them. I plan on reading this book again - it is that good.