"From Dust, a Flame speaks to the importance of stories and how they connect us. A spellbinding tale of mystery and magic that explores grief, loss, and how the choices we make can echo across generations, this is the sort of book you’ll want to read again the moment you finish." — Kalyn Josephson, author of the Storm Crow duology
"A complicated, dark, richly woven story of generational trauma, stories, mothers and daughters, Jewish folklore, and the promises we make—and the promises we break—to protect the people we love. I was riveted from the first page to the last." — Katherine Locke, award-winning author of The Girl with the Red Balloon
"Smart and imaginative, deeply moving, and remarkably fun, From Dust, a Flame breathes fresh air into Jewish mythology. I loved it." — Elana K. Arnold, Prinz Honor-winning author of Damsel
“Filled with fantasy, superstition, and folklore, and with a uniquely Jewish spin, From Dust, a Flame ventures into daunting but fascinating territory. Will command attention.” — Jewish Book Council
"Smart and imaginative, deeply moving, and remarkably fun, From Dust, a Flame breathes fresh air into Jewish mythology. I loved it."
"A complicated, dark, richly woven story of generational trauma, stories, mothers and daughters, Jewish folklore, and the promises we make—and the promises we break—to protect the people we love. I was riveted from the first page to the last."
"From Dust, a Flame speaks to the importance of stories and how they connect us. A spellbinding tale of mystery and magic that explores grief, loss, and how the choices we make can echo across generations, this is the sort of book you’ll want to read again the moment you finish."
Filled with fantasy, superstition, and folklore, and with a uniquely Jewish spin, From Dust, a Flame ventures into daunting but fascinating territory. Will command attention.”
02/01/2022
Gr 9 Up—When Hannah wakes up on her 17th birthday with the eyes of a snake, her eccentric mother, Mali, promises she can fix Hannah's ailment, and then leaves without a trace. When time passes with Mali nowhere to be found and Hannah developing new animal-like physical traits, Hannah and her brother, Gabe, receive notice that their Jewish grandmother, Jitka, whom they have never met, has died. They head to the small town of Fox Hollows to meet their mom's family for the first time, hoping for answers. The siblings befriend Ari, a cool, confident, queer, Jewish local in town, whose grandmother was a beloved spiritual healer, to help investigate the disappearance of their mom and Hannah's ever-changing body. They uncover a haunting history, one that proves we as people are bound by the actions of our ancestors. Podos's book bridges three generations of young women and the burdens they can't escape. Present-day Hannah's coming-of-age story is in the forefront, but there are flashbacks to 1939 and 1990, when her grandmother and mother were teens, that shed light on Hannah's current situation. The story of Jitka narrowly escaping the Holocaust and Mali's traumatic first love story are revealed in detail. Letters are interwoven into the story, helping to drive the plot forward. The novel is seeped in traditional Jewish folktales of magic, golems, and demons, and authentically ties in Jewish ritual and holidays. VERDICT This is the queer Jewish YA fantasy novel readers need, featuring complex characters to adore and family secrets they'll want to uncover.—Danielle Winter
2021-11-16
Hannah Kowalski is a normal teenage girl...at least, until she wakes up on her 17th birthday with snake eyes.
Hannah and her older brother, Gabe, have been moving around from state to state most of their lives; their mother never could manage to stay in the same place for long. When they land in Jamaica Plain, Hannah insists they stay so she can have some semblance of normality and a chance of academic success at Winthrop Academy, where she attends on scholarship. Unfortunately, when Hannah wakes up stricken by a centuries-old curse, a normal summer, let alone school year, is out of the question. When their mother disappears after disclosing that their family is actually Jewish, Hannah and Gabe take matters into their own hands. Together they journey to their mother’s hometown of Fox Hollow, New York, and with the help of their new friend, Ari Leydon, whose family is connected to theirs, activate a golem to help them on their quest to break the curse and find their mother. Based on Jewish folklore, this contemporary fantasy is a thrilling story of family, supernatural monsters, fabled heroes, and first love. Told in chapters alternately focusing on the present day, narrated in the first person, and flashbacks told in the third person, the story will captivate readers and keep them turning pages until its satisfying conclusion.
An enjoyable, suspenseful modern take on Jewish folklore. (family tree) (Fantasy. 14-18)
