Firegold - Softcover

Calhoun, Dia

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1890817287 ISBN 13: 9781890817282

Publisher: Winslow Press, 1999

Synopsis

Jonathon is haunted by the fact that he is different from everyone else in the Valley. Even his father won't listen to questions about his heritage. Could Jonathon be a Dalriada - one of the mountain people who have magnificent horses, mystical powers, and blue eyes like his? The Dalriada have been hated and feared by those in the Valley for generations, and Valley folk are beginning to suspect that Jonathon may not be one of their own. When Jonathon is blamed for the blight that is destroying the Valley's precious orchards, he escapes to the Red Mountains in search of answers. Can Jonathon discover his true identity? Will he find the courage to do what is best for the two nations who are tearing his family apart?

About this title

Review:

Everyone in the Valley has brown eyes--except 13-year-old Jonathon. Ugly rumors about Jonathon's beautiful red-haired mother are surfacing among the self-righteous Valley folk, as are whispers about her son. He's beginning to worry that he's a "loony-blue," one of the blue-eyed, red-headed Dalriada--the much-feared mountain people who have magnificent horses, mystical powers, and horns growing out of their foreheads. After his mother's sudden death, the whispers grow to angry threats, and Jonathon escapes the Valley and goes in search of his heritage, his manhood, and his true love. In the mountains he experiences a mystical rite of passage that takes him to the Dalriada encampments, through caves echoing with his own spirit voices, to the very top of the world. From the mountain peak he carries back one of the legendary Firegold apples--a gift that brings reconciliation with his father and his rightful home among the Valley people.

Fantasy lovers will enjoy the vivid images and original ideas of this shimmering tale, with layers of philosophy about bigotry, narrow-mindedness, and true identity adding emotional depth. This complex, imaginative first novel bodes well for future titles by Dia Calhoun. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell

About the Author:

Dia Calhoun spent years training to be a dancer before turning her hand to design and then to writing. Firegold was her first book, followed by Aria of the Sea. She lives in Tacoma, Washington.

About this edition

• Publisher: Winslow Press
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 1890817287
• ISBN 13: 9781890817282
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 286