From Publishers Weekly
A stocking stuffer with a fairy-tale feel, Salton's slim debut novel is a wholesome but not too sweet tale. The gargoyles, chim res, tomb effigies, mice and pigeons who decorate and inhabit a medieval cathedral all come to life at night, and they take their jobs and physical positions in the cathedral very seriously. A chim re named Raphael, who looks like a dragon but is really a griffin, is restless in spirit. Having been told that he needs a Noble Task, "a task critical to the continued existence of the Celestial Spheres," he thinks he's found his mission when a baby is abandoned at the cathedral. Since a cold and terrible winter has left the monks virtually out of food, Raphael takes the child into the world of the cathedral creatures, learning to love the infant and even risking discovery as he moves out of the cathedral in order to find food. Further suspense derives from the quandaries of the abbot, the baby's mother and other denizens of the town who face their own weaknesses, fears and challenges. Comic relief comes from the chiseled, furry and winged creatures of the cathedral and a ferocious dog who undergoes a change of heart. Salton's moral is gentle: love is sacrifice, and it is in giving that we receive. Written for her son and traditionally read aloud to him at Christmas, this tale should appeal to holiday book buyers. Illustrations by David Weitzman, some reminiscent of Sendak, capture the medieval mood. (Nov.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
About the Author
Catherine Salton was born in Chicago Heights, Illinois in 1963. When she was six years old, her family moved to London, England. Before returning to the United States, her family visited virtually every major cathedral in England and Catherine became fascinated by the middle Ages. "I wish I could say it was the glorious architecture that did it," says Catherine, "but it was really just the gargoyle to spur a kid's imagination. They're kid-size. They're fantastic-looking. And you think that if you just say the right thing to them, they'll talk right back to you."
After growing up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Catherine attended the University of Rochester in upstate New York. She graduated with an English degree and a passion for medieval literature. But since Chaucer didn't pay the rent, Catherine moved to Northern California with her husband Michael Tuciarone and attended law school at the University of California, Berkeley.
Catherine practiced law for several years, but never lost the bug for reading and writing about a medieval Cathedral for her young son and his cousins. She also has published essays as well as magazine articles and fiction, and her next book, The Star-Catching Tree, is forthcoming from HarperCollins Publishers.
Catherine lives with her husband and son in Northern California. She collects gargoyle statues and books on the Middle Ages. She also plays the cello for her own amusement, but unfortunately no-one else's.
