Book of a Thousand Days

Dashti is keeping track of her life through a journal. Every entry is numbered, but many days are skipped. The way it is written had me gripping the book and shaking at moments. I had five pages left when it was time for supper. (I hate it when that happens...) so I took my book with me to the table. I had not done that in a long time, but I had reached a really exciting part and could not bear to stop reading. (one of my younger sisters ended up taking it from me and not giving it back until I had scarfed down the salad and spaghetti in about four minuets... the things we do to finish a book : D ) I should have known the ending, in fact I believe I DID know how it would end, but you see I had just read Goldman, and was expecting anything- authors have so much power!

Hale creates a wonderful world where everyone has a place, and there are laws against stepping out of place. Everything is in order, for a little while. Dashti is a maid who needs a job; because she can read and write, and because she knows the healing songs, she is hired to be a maid to Lady Saren. Lady Saren refused to marry the man her father had chosen for her(ultimately causing a war...), and is going to be severely punished for it. She is being locked in a tower for seven years to think over her decision, and hopefully change her mind. Dashti goes with her, without knowing what she was getting into. How could she have known that it would end up saving their lives? How could she know that Saren was helpless, and childish? How could she know she would save lives? How could she know that a cat could change so much? How could she know it would eventually lead to a 'happy ever after'? How could she know? She couldn't, and because it is written in first person, we are not so sure all the time either...