Curse of a Winter Moon [Paperback]

Mary Casanova (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: 5 and up

In sixteenth-century France, ruled by a Church that overtaxes peasants and burns heretics, Marius must postpone his apprenticeship to care for his six-year-old brother, whose birth took their mother's life, and who the villagers, backed by the Church, believe will become a "loup garou" -- a werewolf.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The persecutions and superstitions of 16th-century France form the backdrop to this flawed novel. Marius, the 12-year-old narrator, watches over his younger brother, Jean-Pierre, after their mother dies in childbirth. Jean-Pierre's birth on Christmas Eve has cursed him as a loup garou, or werewolf. Casanova (Stealing Thunder) evokes Marius's ominous sense of danger, the ever-growing distrust of the ignorant townspeople and some interesting historical contrasts (i.e., reading the Bible on one's own was considered heretical). Despite the high-stakes plot, however, the spare development of even main characters diminishes the emotional impact. Particularly implausible is the evolution of Marius's father, a smithy whose supposed charms caused a noblewoman to give up her position to marry him; he silently coexists beside his sons for six years after their mother's death until the rapidly building animosity of the townspeople causes him to reveal his secrets and confidences. While the setting and conflict certainly highlight the corruption of the clergy and the growing influence of the Reformation, the novel's flat characters make this story curiously unenlightening. Ages 8-12. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-Jean-Pierre was born on December 24, 1553, and his brother wonders if the infant was destined, like many babies born on Christmas Eve, to become a loup-garou, a werewolf. His mother's dying words, "Tell Marius to take good care of his brother," prove to be a challenge. People living in a small village in the French countryside are superstitious, and as Jean-Pierre's sixth birthday approaches, fear of werewolves, heretics, and witches is reaching epidemic proportions. Challenged by Huguenots, the Church actively encourages villagers to rid their town of these followers of the devil. Marius finds his world quickly crumbling when their father is arrested as a heretic and his brother captured. Unable to save his father, he makes an agreement with a self-serving abbot to devote his life to the Church in exchange for Jean-Pierre's safekeeping. When his sibling's body is discarded because he seems dead, the boy rescues him, and with the help of their uncle, the pair set off to start a new life. Marius is a convincing character, full of uncertainties and fears that he gradually learns to overcome as he shoulders great responsibility. Though events sometimes occur willy-nilly and at the convenience of the plot, the narrative is full of life (and death). A lengthy author's note explains the historical events that affect the story. A solid look at a period not often written about in novels for this age group.
Barbara Scotto, Michael Driscoll School, Brookline, MA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (August 26, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786816023
• ISBN-13: 978-0786816026
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,450,122 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How Intriguing!, October 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Curse of a Winter Moon (Hardcover)

When Marius' little brother is born on Christmas Eve, the people in his 16th century French village are superstitious that Jean-Pierre is a loup-garou, a werewolf. This well-researched book relays so much detail about everyday life in a village 400 years ago that it's hard to believe Casanova wasn't there! However, it's the characters who make the book come alive. Marius, his father, Madame Troubene, Brother Gabriel (I hope we hear more about him in another book), the reprehensible Abbott, the all-too-believable butcher . . . these are memorable characters. And what a marvelous hero Marius is. I couldn't put this book down until I had finished it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Curse of a Winter Moon is Fabulous for the Whole Family, August 14, 2001

By 

Paul S Preston (Becker, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Curse of a Winter Moon (Hardcover)

My daughter checked out Curse of a Winter Moon from our library and I was interested in the cool yet haunting illustration on the cover. After reading the book, I can say that the cover picture is enigmatic, dark, yet beautiful, and immediately captures author Mary Casanova's twin themes of danger and protection. Marius, a 12-year-old boy who lives in France in the 1500's must try to protect his younger brother, Jean Pierre from the fear and ignorance that often flared into violence in medieval Europe. Because Jean Pierre was born on Christmas eve, the people at that time believed he was cursed by the mark of the loup garou--the werewolf.

The book is filled with many interesting characters--the old woman who cares for the family, the quiet but strong blacksmith father who has more than one secret, Marius, who is so good at playing the lute (like an old form of guitar), and his uncle, Brother Gabriel, a monk who travels all around Europe and is now in the area.

Even after reading the book, I still wonder about some of the characters and what might have happened to them later. Did Jean Pierre stay safe? Did Marius become a professional minstrel? What about Brother Gabriel--did he continue to travel and have an influence on events during such a dark time in history? I hope author Mary Casanova will consider a sequel to this wonderful book. I am looking forward to talking with my 8 and 11 year old daughters about the book after we read it together.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Curse of a Winter Moon, by Mary Casanova, April 10, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Curse of a Winter Moon (Hardcover)

This historical fiction novel is set in 16th century France, a time and place unfamiliar to most readers, yet the reader is immediately pulled into the historical tumult of that era. The characters, first met in a gripping scene of emotional turmoil in which Marius' baby brother is born on Christmas Eve, come fully alive and real and the reader immediately connects with them. The setting, full of sensory images, immerses the reader into time and place, not to mention predicament. An intricate plot builds with suspense and danger, as Marius must take responsibility for his baby brother, whom the villagers suspect is a werewolf because of his Christmas Eve birth. This is an outstanding story. I hope there will be sequels---I want to continue on with these characters!