Cards of Grief [Hardcover]

Jane Yolen (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: New York: Ace Fantasy Books,
• ASIN: B002K9PJY6
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Born and raised in New York City, Jane Yolen now lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts. She attended Smith College and received her master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. The distinguished author of more than 170 books, Jane Yolen is a person of many talents. When she is not writing, Yolen composes songs, is a professional storyteller on the stage, and is the busy wife of a university professor, the mother of three grown children, and a grandmother. Active in several organizations, Yolen has been on the Board of Directors of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, was president of the Science Fiction Writers of America from 1986 to 1988, is on the editorial board of several magazines, and was a founding member of the Western New England Storytellers Guild, the Western Massachusetts Illustrators Guild, and the Bay State Writers Guild. For twenty years, she ran a monthly writer's workshop for new children's book authors. In 1980, when Yolen was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law degree by Our Lady of the Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts, the citation recognized that "throughout her writing career she has remained true to her primary source of inspiration--folk culture." Folklore is the "perfect second skin," writes Yolen. "From under its hide, we can see all the shimmering, shadowy uncertainties of the world." Folklore, she believes, is the universal human language, a language that children instinctively feel in their hearts. All of Yolen's stories and poems are somehow rooted in her sense of family and self. The Emperor and the Kite, which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1983 for its intricate papercut illustrations by Ed Young, was based on Yolen's relationship with her late father, who was an international kite-flying champion. Owl Moon, winner of the 1988 Caldecott Medal for John Schoenherr's exquisite watercolors, was inspired by her husband's interest in birding. Yolen's graceful rhythms and outrageous rhymes have been gathered in numerous collections. She has earned many awards over the years: the Regina Medal, the Kerlan Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Society of Children's Book Writers Award, the Mythopoetic Society's Aslan Award, the Christopher Medal, the Boy's Club Jr. Book Award, the Garden State Children's Book Award, the Daedalus Award, a number of Parents' Choice Magazine Awards, and many more. Her books and stories have been translated into Japanese, French, Spanish, Chinese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Afrikaans, !Xhosa, Portuguese, and Braille. With a versatility that has led her to be called "America's Hans Christian Andersen," Yolen, the child of two writers, is a gifted and natural storyteller. Perhaps the best explanation for her outstanding accomplishments comes from Jane Yolen herself: "I don't care whether the story is real or fantastical. I tell the story that needs to be told."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cards of Grief, February 25, 2004

By 

Sarah Cheek (Denison, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cards Of Grief (Paperback)

I became a Jane Yolen fan through this book. Her unusual style, such as is seen in the Great Alta trilogy, where history, critical judgement, and matters of the heart mingle, works absolutely perfectly here - though elsewhere it might be a little daunting to the reader. A researcher, studying the culture of a world where grief is the primary emotion, becomes involved with the Queen's Own Griever and her tragic life. The story is told in a series of interviews and flashbacks; it has depths far beyond its tiny length.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Original Compelling Fantasy, July 16, 2000

By 

Mary A. Dorman "MADstuff Store Owner" (Northern New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cards Of Grief (Paperback)

This is a beautiful lyrical work about a culture founded on the belief of continual grieving both as an art form, a basis of racial memory and the way that the world is maintained.

The coming of man contaminated this world and the repercusions are severe and lasting.

A beautiful work that I strongly recommend to the thoughful among us.

5.0 out of 5 stars An unusual, thought provoking, masterly woven tale, January 1, 2011

By 

Asha Sahni (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cards of Grief (Orbit Books) (Paperback)

An elegant, eloquent, haunting book - my copy is over 20 years old, has survived many moves and several readings. The book tells of a young anthropologist, Aaron Spenser, who comes to work on the planet Hederson's IV. His task - to observe, to learn, to record. The planet has perfected grieving as an art form, and grievers are held in high respect. Aaron comes too close to one of his subjects, and in doing so falls in love. The planet does not recognise or value love, and Aaron's actions have rippling repercussions for both his world and Henderson's IV. The unusual format for the telling of the tale - through recordings, some which have the subject's permission, some which don't - moves the tale through different cycles of life, love, art and grief.