Rana, a crippled girl, is chosen to be sacrificed to the 'god inside the mountain'. She has what she believes to be a mystical experience and is convinced, as part of a power play thing, that she is an instrument of her god.
She leads a group of her people to a new land where she becomes the center of the religious life of the community. The later part of the book traces the impact on the community and a, well whatever they called a novitiate.
It is not an easy or a comfortable book. And it is a strange, strange choice for a young child's favorite book (but then Richard III was my favorite of Shakespeare's plays... I used to be able to recite in its entirety... one of those useful and marketable accomplishments).
I think I was drawn to the exploration of the role of faith, whether based in truth or misperception, and of course how you tell which is which... to the, indirect probing at development of self, of individual desires versus community needs, or perceived needs.
Is that of any help? We're unpacking, but I should be able to find my copy and type in the dust jacket description, if my awkward summary doesn't do the trick.
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Re: part 1 - fantasy and semi-fantasy
Rana, a crippled girl, is chosen to be sacrificed to the 'god inside the mountain'. She has what she believes to be a mystical experience and is convinced, as part of a power play thing, that she is an instrument of her god.
She leads a group of her people to a new land where she becomes the center of the religious life of the community. The later part of the book traces the impact on the community and a, well whatever they called a novitiate.
It is not an easy or a comfortable book. And it is a strange, strange choice for a young child's favorite book (but then Richard III was my favorite of Shakespeare's plays... I used to be able to recite in its entirety... one of those useful and marketable accomplishments).
I think I was drawn to the exploration of the role of faith, whether based in truth or misperception, and of course how you tell which is which... to the, indirect probing at development of self, of individual desires versus community needs, or perceived needs.
Is that of any help? We're unpacking, but I should be able to find my copy and type in the dust jacket description, if my awkward summary doesn't do the trick.