I filled in the gap between Jennifer Egan’s Emerald City and Give a Boy a Gun this week by reading Alice Hoffman’s coming of age story, The Fortelling. This mystical, mythical 2005 publication is set in “ancient times of blood,” pre-dating history, when Amazons rode their magnificent horses across the Russian Steppes.
Rain, born in sorrow and destined to become queen, cannot force the current queen, her mother, to love her. Even the shaded illustrations and patterns on the pages create a misty background for the visions that come out of the fog and the smoke of the women’s fires. What is the significance of the black horse Rain sees when the ancient priestess throws her potions into the fires to accomplish the foretelling? What are the strange dreams she has that haunt and worry her as she changes from a warrior girl to a leader-queen?
Mothers and daughters alike will enjoy this novel where genres of YA and women’s literature are blurred. Better yet, read it aloud to each other, luxuriating in the poetic wording and phrasing handled so well by Hoffman. I recommend this novel to all women, regardless of their age or reading preferences.
powerfulwomenreaders 
Ooo… I like the sound of this one, Rae – I really need to read more from this author. Thank you for sharing this one:).
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The story behind the story is that some girl or young woman placed it in my LFL with a note telling me how much she liked the book and sending “positive vibes and loving thoughts” to “a fellow bookworm.” I LOVED the mystical, mythical quality of the book and am thrilled to think someone else did too.
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I really, really MUST get hold of more Alice Hoffman!
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Lovely review. I will need to read this one.
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