Keturah and Lord Death

by Martine Leavitt

Overview

National Book Award Finalist
 
A young woman makes a bargain with Death himself—and only true love can set her free—in this spellbinding young adult fantasy romance for fans of Robin McKinley.
 
For most of her sixteen years, beautiful Keturah Reeves has mesmerized the villagers with her gift for storytelling. But when she becomes hopelessly lost in the king’s forest, her strength all but diminished, she must spin the most important of tale of life. With her fate hanging in the balance, she charms Death himself—a handsome, melancholy, and stern lord—with a story of a love so true that he agrees to give her a one-day reprieve. Now, she must find her true love in the next twenty-four hours, or else all will be lost.
 
Keturah searches desperately while her village prepares for an unexpected visit from the king. But Lord Death’s presence is never far, hovering over all as mysterious happenings start to alarm her friends and neighbors. If she is to save her soul and the souls of the people she adores, Keturah must confront Lord Death one last time . . .

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781629795904
Publisher:	Astra Publishing House
Publication date:	11/04/2016
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
Lexile:	810L (what's this?)
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Martine Leavitt's young-adult novels have won many awards and honors in the United States and Canada. Most notable are two Canadian honors: Tom Finder won a Mr. Christie's Book Award, and Heck Superhero was a finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award. Martine Leavitt earned an MFA in writing for children from Vermont College. She lives in High River, Alberta, Canada.

Editorial Reviews

Leavitt (Heck Superhero) crafts a darkly gorgeous medieval fairy tale, deftly spun by Keturah, Tide-by-Rood's beautiful 16-year-old storyteller. Keturah was orphaned at birth, and her life, begun with Death, entwines with him ever after. Indeed, when she follows a prized, elusive hart into Lord Temsland's forest and loses her way, Lord Death comes for her. Like Scheherazade, with her gift for storytelling she beguiles him into allowing her a day's reprieve, then another and one more, weaving her own quest-finding her own true love-into installments of a tale within the tale. Leavitt also introduces some beguiling details: the heroine bargains with the village wise woman for a love charm-an enchanted eye that will indicate to Keturah her true love. The townsfolk find Keturah both villain and savior before the tale's finish, as she attempts to ward off tragedy within her beloved village. A few farcical plot twists lighten the tone, as Keturah's stalwart friends Gretta and Beatrice rush to uncover Keturah's mate (and wind up finding their own)-before Lord Death's deadline. Leavitt renders in Lord Death a character rivaling the finest gothic depictions, in her portrayal of a palpably sexual man whom Keturah both resists and embraces. Well-tuned narration, at once plainspoken and lyrical, conjures the sunny, brimming village at fair time, but also the volatility of a vulnerable peasantry and the encroaching forest's secrets. A fine achievement. Ages 12-up. (Nov.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Gr 7 Up-At 16, Keturah is a poor peasant girl who constantly ponders her future. She has always been different from the other girls of the village and has unique but unrealized gifts. She has been raised by warm and loving grandparents, experiencing firsthand what a truly happy marriage is all about. The teen is committed to finding a suitable husband so she, too, can be happy but has not yet been successful. All this changes for her the day she follows the legendary hart deep into the forest and becomes lost. After three days of wandering aimlessly, she knows that she is about to die. Keturah is surprised to discover that Death is a strong, handsome lord to whom she immediately feels connected. Despite the fact that she is afraid, she challenges Lord Death, which is something he is not used to. She uses her storytelling skills to make him grant her a reprieve for one day. She spins a story of a love so pure that even Death cannot destroy it. He allows her to live another day on the condition that she come to him with an ending to the story and her true love. Keturah continues to delay the inevitable but in doing so learns much about herself and what she is truly capable of achieving. Along the way she also discovers that her true love was there beside her all along. This is a dark, but uplifting story combining elements of fantasy as well as romance. It has a gripping plot, strong characters, and a surprise ending that will intrigue readers.-Donna Rosenblum, Nassau Boces School Library System, NY Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

This lyrical tale adds surprises to the search for true love. Sixteen-year-old Keturah has never known love. When she's lost in the forest, the beautiful but severe Lord Death comes for her and decides to carry her off as his consort. Keturah strikes a bargain: If she can find true love in one day, thus proving to Death that there is more to love than dreams, he will spare her life. Scheherazade-like, Keturah draws out her single day into three, each night telling Death more of a story. Meanwhile, she examines the young men of her village as potential husbands, though without considering handsome John Temsland, the smitten son of her liege lord. As her deadline approaches, Keturah sees her village, her family and her friends as more beloved each day-her impending death adds spice to the mundane. Keturah's quest is lovely if (given its folktale style) not so original, but her unexpected solution to the puzzle leads to a thought-provoking and unabashedly sentimental conclusion. (Fantasy. 12-15)

Kirkus Reviews

★ "A darkly gorgeous medieval fairy tale... Leavitt renders in Lord Death a character rivaling the finest gothic depictions... a fine achievement."
—Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "A dark, but uplifting story combining elements of fantasy as well as romance."
—School Library Journal, starred review

★ "The romance is intense, the writing is startling, and the story is spellbinding. Readers will be carried away on the wind of Leavitt's words, and few will be able to guess how she finally ends her story."
—Booklist, starred review

"Lord Death, mysterious and gorgeous, and Keturah, brilliant and beautiful, will be irresistible to romance fans as well as those who like a bit of passion woven into their fantasy."
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

From the Publisher