Book of a Thousand Days
Acceptable with guidance. Age: 13+. A Catholic review of this book for parents.
Our review
A brave, humble heroine who serves without counting the cost. Dashti stays loyal to a broken, frightened lady, refuses to lie when it matters, and risks her life to save a kingdom. The book honors the poor and rebukes contempt for them. The reservations: Dashti prays constantly to invented gods and ancestors, a near assault and a stripping scene appear, and the wolf violence is sharp.
For parents
A read-aloud for a mature 12-year-old; independent reading from 13. Kirkus says 12 to 15, Compass 14 and up. Dashti prays to the Eternal Blue Sky and her ancestors; we pray to the one true God (CCC 2112). Ask what makes Dashti's service to Saren an act of love. Ask why a lowly maid becomes the true lady.