Library Day with Spindle and Dagger by J. Anderson Coats

It's Library Day! Today's gem was released in 2010 and heads back to 1109 in Wales. It follows a girl as she struggles to survive during a very, very turmoil ridden time period. I adore historical novels, and when they're set in a little-seen-time-period, I might even get giddy. Now, this one will not be a gentle read. The time period was more than rough. While there are very subtle indications of possible rape (and I do mean that one has to really read between the lines), the author keeps this one solidly in the rough treatment of 'lowly' citizens and the violence surrounding the constant warring tribes (not overly gruesome, either). 

Yes, I did read this before writing the above comments (usually, I do a pre-thought thingy), but I couldn't wait to dive into this one right away. 

SPINDLE AND DAGGER

by J. Anderson Coats

Candlewick Press

Young Adult Historical 

304 pages

This rich literary novel follows Elen, who must live a precarious lie in order to survive among the medieval Welsh warband that killed her family.

Wales, 1109. Three years ago, a warband raided Elen’s home. Her baby sister could not escape the flames. Her older sister fought back and almost killed the warband’s leader, Owain ap Cadwgan, before being killed herself. Despite Elen’s own sexual assault at the hands of the raiders, she saw a chance to live and took it. She healed Owain’s wound and spun a lie: Owain ap Cadwgan, son of the king of Powys, cannot be killed, not by blade nor blow nor poison. Owain ap Cadwgan has the protection of Saint Elen, as long as he keeps her namesake safe from harm and near him always.

For three years, Elen has had plenty of food, clothes to wear, and a bed to sleep in that she shares with the man who brought that warband to her door. Then Owain abducts Nest, the wife of a Norman lord, and her three children, triggering full-out war. As war rages, and her careful lies threaten to unravel, Elen begins to look to Nest and see a different life — if she can decide, once and for all, where her loyalties lie. J. Anderson Coats’s evocative prose immerses the reader in a dark but ultimately affirming tale of power and survival.

At a library near you!!!

MY TIDBITS

This sinks its teeth into a historical period of constantly warring tribes, and their vye for power destroys anyone, who shows the slightest sign of weakness.

The world is in unrest with ever shifting sides and those who take what they want without scrutiny. Elen has already watched her innocent family be slaughtered before her eyes and now survives thanks to a lie she used to save herself. Tethered to a leading warrior's side, she's believed to be sent from from a saint, her name's sake, to keep the warrior from death. The lie has miraculously worked for years, but the shifting power struggles are sliding in a new direction. Not only are the stakes during the battles higher, but her secret threatens to be exposed.

This is set in 12th century Wales, a time where the entire country seeped under attacks and wars as various powers tried to gain the overhand. The tale is not presented with any cushioning to ease the brutality. Instead, it follows a historical incident, and playing the game of 'what if', fills in holes. There isn't any fantasy, and the author tries to stick to realistic possibility in a grabbing and tense way. It is a grabbing read and does a nice job at delivering an engaging tale while shedding some light on the time period.

While YA historical reads tend to sink into romance, this book does not. Instead, it takes a peek at political shoves for power and intrigue. It concentrates on the factors, which drove the merciless behavior and left the country in blood. Also, the relationship between men and women grows clear...and not with a lightness readers might expect. It is complex and interesting.

While all of this plays out, the author does side-step other aspects outside of the warring powers, which would have added more depth. It would have been nice to see more details and gain a little insight into the life of anyone not directly working in the power plays, especially since Elen comes from this 'usual' folk perspective herself. But anyone who enjoys historic ventures with truth, grit, and a glimpse at what true heroines might have looked like, is in for quite the read with this one. 

Today's read... The Loss of the Burying Ground by J. Anderson Coats

Ready for a high-sea adventure? I haven't picked up one of these in quite awhile, and was especially excited to learn that it's about a forming friendship between two girls. At first, I thought it was about sisters (twins), but after reading the blurb more carefully, I realize it's not. I think this one will be more about coming together and finding common ground. But let's find out!

THE LOSS OF THE BURYING GROUND

by J. Anderson Coats

Candlewick Press

Young Adult Fantasy

288 pages

COMING...

SEPTEMBER 3rd!!!

In this twisting, page-turning read, shipwrecked teen girls from opposing sides of a long war must find common ground in order to survive.

When the Burying Ground goes down in neutral waters, it sends the delegations from two warring nations—and the peace treaty they were about to sign—to the bottom of the ocean. The only survivors are a pair of teen girls: Cora, daughter of a Duran newspaper man, and Vivienne, lady’s maid to an Ariminthian princess. Neither has known a time when war between their two countries did not rage, but now they must learn to trust each other if they are to find sustenance, avoid dangerous pirates, and have any hope of rescue from the remote island they washed up on. However, in the midst of a conflict steeped in fierce national identity, propaganda, disinformation, and radicalization, finding a common path forward seems nearly impossible, for both Cora and Vivienne and their respective countries. But when the teens’ politically charged rescue seems likely to extend the war, Cora and Vivienne realize they do have a shared purpose: peace. If only it isn’t too late.

GOODREADS   /   CANDLEWICK PRESS

MY TIDBITS

The embedded thorns of prejudice and hate come face-to-face with the need to find acceptance in order to survive.

The Burying Ground is the meeting point of delegations from two nations, which have warred for years and are hoping to find peace. Before the treaty is signed, the ship meets disaster and ends up on the bottom of the ocean with all but two passengers dead. Cora, the daughter of a newspaper man from one side of the war, and Vivienne, maid to the princess on the other side, are the sole survivors. At first, they are unaware that the other has made it to the island alive, but when they finally do meet, their hate runs deep. The island and the dangers around them threaten to kill them both, but if they hope to survive, they must find a way to get along...especially when their own peace might later change the path of their nations as well.

The book is broken down into four sections, each opening up to the next stage of the plot. The reader first meets Cora and Vivienne just as they realize they've washed up on shore, not knowing the other exists or has survived. By staying in first person and switching between each point of view, the thoughts, fears, and hopes of both individuals become clear. This allows the girls to gain sympathy separately before they meet and clash. All the while, a third and unknown character has their own perspective and tale thrown in here and there, which adds a touch of mystery while also giving more depth to the world beyond the island and a taste of the stakes surrounding the war. 

The first fifty pages (or so) allow each character to develop individually. While this sets the foundation for the driving message, it also holds a slightly lower pace. First, at around page 80 or so, the pacing picks up and steadily increases after that as the two characters face one unexpected challenge after the next. By the end, the tension is palpable, and it's hard to see how everything will work out. I was also surprised a little by the pretty modern day language usage despite the setting, but then, remembered this isn't historical but fantasy. This lends the story familiar aspects with a slightly unique style.

Both characters are easy to root for, and this makes the message come across with potency. It's not hard to notice how society and history has molded their opposing thoughts, and how a little open mindedness can clear away the storm. The darker side, however, isn't totally forgotten as strings of intrigue, greed, and more also come into play. The extra twist of the world outside is well done and adds needed tension as well as unexpected twists. Fans of enemies turning to friends against dangerous odds while facing danger around them will enjoy this one.

And here she is...

J. Anderson Coats has received two Junior Library Guild selections, two Washington State Book Awards, and earned starred reviews from Kirkus, School Library Journal, the Horn Book Review, and Shelf Awareness. Her newest books are A Season Most Unfair, a middle grade historical set in medieval England about a girl with something to prove; and The Night Ride, a middle grade action-adventure about horses in danger and kids who want to save them – if they can. She is also the author of Spindle and Dagger, The Green Children of Woolpit, R is for Rebel, The Many Reflections of Miss Jane Deming, and The Wicked and the Just. A YA novel, The Loss of the Burying Ground, is forthcoming from Candlewick Press in 2025.                  Bio taken from Goodreads...and I believe the date at the end is a typo, since this book is scheduled for this year, 2024.