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Young Adult Fiction Medieval

The Burning Time

by (author) Carol Matas

Publisher
Orca Book Publishers
Initial publish date
Sep 2007
Category
Medieval, Prejudice & Racism, Girls & Women
Recommended Age
13 to 18
Recommended Grade
8 to 12
Recommended Reading age
12 to 18
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781551436241
    Publish Date
    Sep 2007
    List Price
    $14.95

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Description

Rose's idyllic existence in sixteenth century france is destroyed when her father dies, and her mother—a midwife and healer to half the families in the town—is arrested and accused of being a witch. When her mother begs Rose to save herself, Rose must weigh the terror of death against the pain of life on her own. First published in 1993, The Burning Time is an unrelenting examination of cruelty and injustice.
   

Set in France in the sixteenth century, The Burning Time tells the story of a young girl whose mother is accused of being a witch. In her village, everyone is suspect. An accusation is enough to bring arrest, shame, even torture. Rose Rives cannot understand how the authorities—from the magistrate to the village priest—can encourage the villagers to denounce their neighbours as witches. Rose's simple life is shattered when her mother, who has been a midwife and a healer to half of the families in town, is turned over to the authorities. Struggling to free her mother, Rose finds herself pitted against some of the people she trusted the most.
   The Burning Time is an unrelenting examination of the cruelty and injustice committed against women through all ages and the courage some women have found to speak out.

About the author

Carol Matas is an internationally acclaimed author of over thirty-five novels for children and young adults. Her best-selling work, which includes three award-winning series, has been translated into Spanish, Japanese, Taiwanese, Turkish, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, German, French, Indonesian and Russian.
A graduate of the Actor's Lab, in London England, Carol first earned a B.A. (English) from The University of Western Ontario. Her teaching experience includes Artists in the School, Manitoba Arts Council;visiting professor at Bemidji State University, Minnesota; and a Creative Writing instructor, Continuing Education Division, The University of Winnipeg. Carol is an inspiring and passionate speaker who is frequently invited to address children and adults alike across North America.
Carol writes contemporary and historical fiction, as well as science fiction and fantasy. She first began writing historical fiction when her Danish husband told her stories about his parents' experiences fighting the Nazis in World War II. She has often written about Jewish themes, and is well known for her books concerning the Holocaust, writing Daniel's Story at the request of The United States Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. Over the years, her knack for successfully infusing serious and thought-provoking issues into an action-driven format has kept readers of all ages engaged.
The list of awards for her books is long, and includes two Sydney Taylor awards, The Geoffrey Bilson award, a Silver Birch award, The Jewish Book Award, as well as the inclusion of her books on many honour lists, such as the ALA notable list, The New York Times Review notable list, The New York Public Library list for the Teen Age, and the Voya books in the middle, Best Book list. She has also been nominated for the Governor General Award twice.
More information is about Carol is available on her web site: http://www.carolmatas.com.

 

Carol Matas' profile page

Awards

  • Commended, Resource Links "The Year's Best"
  • Short-listed, Governor General's Literary Award nominee
  • Commended, ALA Quick Pick
  • Commended, CCBC Our Choice selection

Editorial Reviews

"This book gives an insight into how women suspected of witchcraft were mistreated and to a large extent misunderstood in medieval times."

Resource Links

"Matas's ability to write gripping stories that bring the past alive is well displayed in this enlightening and involving novel."

School Library Journal

"A quick read with a powerful punch."

teensreadtoo.com

"It's the history that's compelling here, the facts that are left out of the traditional textbooks, the role played by those strong women outsiders who threatened the male hierarchy."

Booklist

"The plot grips readers' attention...Highly Recommended."

CM Magazine

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