Curse of a Winter Moon - Softcover

Casanova, Mary

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0816692076 ISBN 13: 9780816692071

Publisher: Univ Of Minnesota Press, 2014

Synopsis

Six years ago, twelve-year-old Marius lost his mother during the birth of his brother, Jean-Pierre, and her dying wish was that he watch over his brother. But because Jean-Pierre was born on Christmas Eve, villagers believe he is marked with the curse of the loup garou—the werewolf. Protecting Jean-Pierre has been a never-ending struggle as townsfolk constantly eye the boy with dread and suspicion. To make matters worse, his country is swept up in a hysterical campaign to find and destroy enemies of the Church, and now the villagers have made Jean-Pierre their target. Marius must defy the ruling institutions of the time to save his brother’s life—and his own.

Winner of a 2001 Minnesota Book Award, Curse of a Winter Moon is a harrowing story of one boy’s fierce devotion to his family as he battles against prejudice and fear.

About this title

About the Author:

Mary Casanova is the author of more than thirty books for young readers, ranging from picture books to novels, including Frozen (Minnesota, 2012).

From School Library Journal:

Grade 5-8-Jean-Pierre was born on December 24, 1553, and his brother wonders if the infant was destined, like many babies born on Christmas Eve, to become a loup-garou, a werewolf. His mother's dying words, "Tell Marius to take good care of his brother," prove to be a challenge. People living in a small village in the French countryside are superstitious, and as Jean-Pierre's sixth birthday approaches, fear of werewolves, heretics, and witches is reaching epidemic proportions. Challenged by Huguenots, the Church actively encourages villagers to rid their town of these followers of the devil. Marius finds his world quickly crumbling when their father is arrested as a heretic and his brother captured. Unable to save his father, he makes an agreement with a self-serving abbot to devote his life to the Church in exchange for Jean-Pierre's safekeeping. When his sibling's body is discarded because he seems dead, the boy rescues him, and with the help of their uncle, the pair set off to start a new life. Marius is a convincing character, full of uncertainties and fears that he gradually learns to overcome as he shoulders great responsibility. Though events sometimes occur willy-nilly and at the convenience of the plot, the narrative is full of life (and death). A lengthy author's note explains the historical events that affect the story. A solid look at a period not often written about in novels for this age group.
Barbara Scotto, Michael Driscoll School, Brookline, MA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Univ Of Minnesota Press
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0816692076
• ISBN 13: 9780816692071
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 144