The Secret Book of Sacred Things - Softcover

Krol, Torsten

3.29

186 ratings by Goodreads

9781843545798: The Secret Book of Sacred Things

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1843545799 ISBN 13: 9781843545798

Publisher: Corvus, 2012

View all copies of this ISBN edition:

A fantastic journey into a postapocalyptic world, seen through the eyes of a 12-year-old girl, told by a master storyteller. For fans of China Mieville and the sci-fi of Margaret Atwood and Doris Lessing.

The coming of the Great Stone destroyed almost everything that used to be. But high in one remote valley, the Church of Selene has found its way back from ruin. Sister Luka and her female converts offer sacrifices to the scarred (and very close) moon that hangs over their convent. It has been this way since the Stone hit. Among the Little Sisters of Selene is 12-year-old Aurora, respected Scribe of the church. She endlessly writes down the name of the moon to keep her in the sky where she belongs. But Aurora has a secret book she keeps hidden in her Scribe's chamber and into this diary she pours out her hopes and desires. Upsetting this fragile equilibrium is Willa, a young tomboy whose flamboyant arrival threatens the hard-won status quo of the sisters' community. As Aurora and Willa inch toward friendship, insurrection grows. But when an unexpected marvel occurs in the sky, it is clear that Aurora's work as the Scribe has failed. The moon is threatening to remake the world all over again. This is the Secret Book of Sacred Things, this is Aurora's story.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author:

Torsten Krol is the author of Callisto and The Dolphin People.

From Booklist:

*Starred Review* Krol, the pseudonymous author of Callisto (2007), turns in a bravura performance with this story of a young girl, living in a postapocalyptic future, who is witness to events that change the world as she knows it. Set sometime after a “great stone” (presumably a meteoroid) bounced off the moon and hit Earth—seriously affecting the orbits of both—the story is narrated by Rory, the scribe of the church of the Sisters of Selene, whose task it is to write Selene’s name endlessly in a book so that she will keep the moon safely up in the sky (its new elliptical orbit bringing it very close to earth once every seven days). But Rory has a strong independent streak, and she keeps her own secret book, recording events as they happen, events that include the arrival of a newcomer in the community; a movement by the men of the village to take control; and a catastrophe (near the end of the book) that could mean the end of humanity itself. Beautifully written, the novel creates, by the slow accumulation of detail, a portrait of its young narrator as a strong, resourceful, but also naive and fanciful, girl, and, at some points, we can’t help wondering if what she’s telling us is real or the products of her vivid imagination. For fans of SF in general and postapocalyptic stories in particular, it’s a must-read. --David Pitt

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.