"She kept hold of Answelica's ear.
She thought: I am Beatryce. I have
friends in the world. I no longer have
hair. But I have friends."
I have read this novel twice already. I don't often take the time to do such a thing, as there are so many books waiting for my attention. It was worth every single minute to savor the words, the people and the events all over again. I have great respect and full-on fandom for Kate DiCamillo and her extraordinary gift for storytelling.
Here we first meet Answelica, a goat of great strength and an inclination to have the monks of the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing feel a quiet complacency at her presence. Then, in the blink of an eye, she changes and is quick to give them a hard butt in the backside. She can make them fly, before giving them a bite. Such a truly funny way to open a remarkable story.
It is one of the monks - Brother Edik - who finds the young girl in the barn where Answelica spends his nights. She is lying beside that cantankerous goat, her hand firmly holding one of its ears. Where had she come from, and why was she sleeping in the barn? Brother Edik immediately recalls a prophecy, long ignored because it said the child would be a girl.
"It is written in the Chronicles of Sorrowing
that one day there will come a child
who will unseat the king.
The prophecy states that this child will be a girl."
Now, there are three characters to be admired and followed. It won't be long until another is added. Jack Dory is a young and spirited boy who lives on his own, and makes a life for himself carrying out tasks for many. He becomes a loyal and trusted friend to Beatryce. He and the monks are astounded to learn that Beatryce knows how to read and write, an unheard of skill for girls of their time. They soon learn that the king and his minions are on the hunt for Beatryce to ensure the prophecy remains unresolved. Their story is told from all three perspectives - Brother Edik, Beatryce, and Jack Dory.
Ms. DiCamillo's tale is full of kindness, suspense, humor, empowerment, loss, and protection. Deep love assures that Answelica is one more of those animal characters destined for inclusion in a DiCamillo tale. Fans will not be disappointed to see what bravery means when it comes to being there for those you love.
To have Sophie Blackall as a co-creator is icing on the cake for all readers. Her characters are an ideal match for the words that bring them to life. Illuminated letters begin each chapter and additional embellishments add connections to the medieval setting. And those faces! Oh, those faces - innocent while determined, frightened yet brave, full of love and honesty; these are characters to admire and emulate for their will to have their story come to its hopeful ending.
We shall all, in the end, be led to where we belong. We shall all, in the end, find our way home.
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