Grade 9 Up–Serena, 16, and her older sister, Willow, live in a crime-infested neighborhood in the city of Oestia. Born of a Gorgio father and a Yulang mother, they are accepted by neither race. Gorgios are richer, fair skinned, and better educated. The Yulang are darker skinned, poorer, and often travel in caravans. Willow and Serena are further outcast, or ma'hane, because of Zara, Willow's child who was born out of wedlock. When the social-service agency discovers that someone, probably one of Willow's lazy boyfriends, has put out a cigarette on the child's foot, the agency takes her. Serena runs away, desperately seeking her mother, who has been missing since her father's death three years before. With the help of a young man named Shem, she travels far into the mountains searching for Anchara, the mara chan of Serena's Kereskedo tribe. In exchange for her help, Serena must find something of worth. When the teen finally locates her mother, who has been delusional since her daughters were taken away from her, she realizes that she must be the one to take charge. Serena's knowledge of the Romanae language impresses a well-known Yulang lawyer, who advises Serena on a petition to get custody of Zara, and also asks her to apprentice under him. The book ends on the morning of Shem and Serena's wedding. Serena is a strong female character, able to help not only herself and her family but also her tribe. While the book gets bogged down with too many characters and subplots, it is an interesting look at Rom culture and would launch a good discussion of racism.–Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Gr. 8-11. Orphaned by the death of her Giorgio (think dominant Anglo culture) father and the disappearance of her Yulang (think Gypsy) mother, Serena lives in an inner-city ghetto with her frivolous sister and her beloved baby niece, Zara. The three are pariahs in Giorgio society because of their Yulang blood and have been ostracized from Yulang society since Zara was born out of wedlock. Nonetheless, when Zara is taken by Cruelty (Child Protective Services), Serena seeks assistance from both cultures to find her. Every door on which she knocks remains closed, so Serena must accept help from Shem, an odd young Yulang man possessed of far more strength, wisdom, and integrity than Serena at first realizes. With Shem, Serena struggles against incredible odds and the contempt of both cultures to reunite her biological family and to define her family for the future. This work is not only unique in its smooth and imaginative integration of genres but also offers an original blend of societal grit and compelling fantasy-based spirituality. Serena and Shem are complex young people in a complicated world, who both collide and collaborate on their shared journey to a meaningful adulthood. Holly Koelling
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
See all Editorial Reviews
