There Will Be Wolves [Paperback]

Karleen Bradford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1998

The daughter of an apothecary and the owner of a secret book of healing arts, Ursula is determined to become a great healer, but her ambition makes her an outsider in the Holy Roman Empire. When she is accused of witchcraft and sentenced to burn at the stake, she is given one chance to save herself: she must march in the People's Crusade to the holy city of Jerusalem.

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

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Accused of being a witch, Ursula joins the People's Crusade to Jerusalem in 1096 to escape burning at the stake. "Focusing on the Crusaders' slaughter of Rhineland Jews, [Bradford] demonstrates that intolerance and savagery toward 'outsiders' was as unconscionable then as it is now," said PW. Ages 12-up.-- demonstrates that intolerance and savagery toward 'outsiders' was as unconscionable then as it is now," said PW. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-8?Set in 1096, this light historical novel follows the adventures of Ursula, an apothecary's daughter from Cologne, into, through, and out of the People's Crusade led by Peter the Hermit. Ursula has thoroughly modern sensibilities. She reads, practices healing, saves animals, bathes frequently, talks openly to strange young men, talks back to her father's customers, opposes the aristocracy, and openly supports Jewish families. It is therefore no wonder that she is accused of witchcraft; sent on the Crusade; takes on the medical care of the haughty Count Emil; comes to the aid of an abused mother and her child; "adopts" the child upon the death of her mother; and, with the help of her friend Bruno, gets safely back to Cologne where she reopens the apothecary and marries Bruno. While there is plenty of action, there is little supporting detail. Bradford presents her characters, setting, and historical events by means of direct statements. This moves the story along quickly but gives readers no strong sense of place, time, or emotion. The author's narrative style also contributes to the fast pace of the plot. Sentences tend to be short, dialogue limited and terse, and descriptive passages few and simple. Characters are drawn very sketchily. Mad Peter the Hermit, for instance, is portrayed only as a distant figure who has no real impact on the plot. Ursula, herself, although not entirely believable, is a likable character and will appeal to readers who are content with a surface look at a girl growing to womanhood during this period.?Wendy D. Caldiero, New York Public Library
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 195 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (December 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140383719
• ISBN-13: 978-0140383713
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #253,921 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm an award-winning writer of historical and fantasy fiction for children and young adults. Writing has always been a passion of mine, although when I was young I never thought that I could be a published author. I think I believed that all published writers were either dead or English, probably because, although I was born in Canada, I lived in Argentina until I went back for university. It was only after I was married and had children of my own that I got the idea of writing my own stories.

I followed the writer's usual path of rejection slips until I started selling short stories to magazines and school anthologies. It still took another six years until I finally published my first book. I've been writing ever since. You can check out my work at www.karleenbradford.com

During a school visit a young boy once asked me, "How many books are you going to write before you die?"

It's 23 and counting.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific, engaging story., October 3, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: There Will Be Wolves (Hardcover)

I discovered this book quite by accident when my mother picked it up for me for a dollar at a book fair. She said that when she read the back it sounded to be right up my alley, and she was right. I opened this book, read the first page, and had the entire novel finished within two hours. Ms. Bradford portrays the Crusades in a way that is both historically accurate and marvellously entertaining. I loved the characters of Ursula and Bruno. They are interesting, and the reader can sympathize with both of them. Reading this book sparked my interest in the Crusades, which makes History class a lot more interesting. My definition of a good story is one that will make you both laugh and cry, and leave you wanting to know more at the end. This book meets all those criteria, and for those like me who wanted to know more, check out the new sequel, "Shadows On A Sword", for another exciting delve into medevial times.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Meh., February 4, 2004

By 

"makeshiftmagic" (Suburbia, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: There Will Be Wolves (Hardcover)

This book did have an interesting topic, something that initially caught my eye when I was looking for a good book to read. One usually finds more generic medieval eras as the setting, rather than the crusades specifically. However, when I began the book, I found it rather disappointing. The main characters were, in a word, flat. There was no real sense of being in the story, and I found a surplus of slightly clichéd supporting characters which was very disheartening, as the plot was fairly original, though still very easy to predict. While this particular work didn't live up to expectations, I do think the author is heading down the right path, and given more time and experience, could create some magnificant writings, though this book was not one.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars .........., April 5, 2004

By 

"_winter_" (A book) - See all my reviews

This review is from: There Will Be Wolves (Hardcover)

I enjoyed this book, but it wasn't the best i've ever read. To me, it seemed more like a first-time author book. Though it did open my eyes about the People's Crusade and the Crusades in general. I always thought about the fighting and killing in Jerusalem, I never thought about the fighting and killing on the way there.
All in all, i enjoyed it and recomend it and the other two in the Crusades trilogy-Shadows on and Sword and Lionheart's Scribe-to any lover of midieval books.