"Death came to me in the form of a man."
Written: Jul 09 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great story idea. Patches of beautiful prose.
Cons: Some underdeveloped spots.
The Bottom Line: An unusual premise and some heavy thinking for the young female audience.
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| panguitch's Full Review: Martine Leavitt - Keturah And Lord Death |
The seduction of a princess has never been done so well as it was in Ridley Scott's Legend, where, with the Lord of Darkness looking on, Mia Sara reluctantly dances with her own black wedding dress until it overcomes her.
It's Lord Death that overcomes Keturah in Martine Leavitt's 2006 young adult novel. He uses a legendary hart to lure her into the forest, where, after three days of wandering thirsty and hungry she is prepared to give herself up to that "severe but beautiful" black horseman. Almost. First, like Scheherazade, she will tell him a story.
It is Keturah's own story, the story of the life she would have led: her own little cottage, her own baby to hold, and her own true love to wed, a love that could not be conquered by death. She withholds the story's ending, and in exchange for that ending Lord Death grants her one more day. What's more, if she can find such a love in that day, she will not have to submit to Death at all.
Returned to her home, Keturah, with the help of two silly friends and a charm purchased from the local witch, begins examining every man in the village hoping to find her true love. But the pickings are slim. Is it the widowed Tailor? The somber Choirmaster? Ben Marshall, who has sworn to marry the girl who wins Best Cook? Or could a common girl like Keturah ever consider John Temsland, handsome son of the local lord?
The answer may not be hard to guess, but making that answer actually work in a story is an impressive feat. Keturah and Lord Death is, at its core, an authentic-feeling fairy tale. That skeleton of archetype is overlaid with a very homey cast of characters. Keturah herself, rather than being separated from her true love by briars and castle walls, has no clue who he might be. The girl in this love story is not in love, and falling in love proves difficult to do on demand.
It should be easy for girls to identify with Keturah, they so often seem to be in love not with any boy in particular but with the idea of being in love. She is also brave and kind, working for others' welfare even with her own life in peril. Her humility and honest fear keep her from being too perfect and further endear her.
Lord Death is well-drawn, mysterious and foreboding, but vulnerable. He is enchanted with Keturah and reveals deep sympathy beneath his unplacable persona. I also enjoy Soor Lily, the local witch, her sidewise answers to Keturah's questions, and her seven lummoxy sons.
Keturah and Lord Death tends to be spotty in places. Keturah's storytelling background and a few other plot points feel underdeveloped. The revelation that Keturah has a history of encountering Death is sloppy, as much a jarring surprise for her as it is for the reader. Still, it stands far above the standard fairy tale targeted at young teen girls.
The story itself is simple, but the heroine is admirable, her predicament is unusual, and it presents opportunities for brief reflections on the ambiguous nature of death and what it means. The idea that good, evil, and the freedom to choose between them only hold meaning in the context of death may not be something you expect to find in a modern fairy tale romance.
Keturah and Lord Death is not typical for these reasons. Its slightly stilted, occasionally beautiful prose sets an appropriate tone as, like its heroine, it straddles its comfortable setting and the more enchanting conflict with Death. For girls more given to reflection than twitterpation, it's the perfect fairy tale.
- Panguitch
Recommended:
Yes
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