Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt

I will tell you a story that is all of those things, a story of magic and love, of daring and death, and one to comfort your heart. It will be the truest story I have ever told. Now listen, and tell me if it is not so.

I was sixteen years old the day I was lost in the forest, sixteen the day I met my death.

--from pages 9 and 10, Keturah and Lord Death

Oh, the books I've been reading lately. They are sad, sad, tragic tales that make my heart hurt... but they are written so beautifully, and it is often stories such as these that stay with me long after I've read the last page. I am referring to the previously reviewed Any Bitter Thing and the currenly reviewed Keturah and Lord Death, both of which I read over the past four days.

This books tells the (fairy) tale of Keturah, who is herself a skilled tale teller. Keturah repeatedly bargains for her life and the lives of those she loves with Lord Death by charming him with her gift for storytelling. She wins a twenty four hour reprieve from death to find her one true love and marry him; if she can do this, she can live longer than just one more day.

The fairy tale feel of the story is reinforced by the author's writing style that lends itself well to the fairy tale. The story itself is suspenseful, beautiful, heart pounding and heart breaking.

I hope you'll check it out the next time you're in the library where it is located at YA/Fic/Lea. It can also be requested from Lebanon Community Library and Richland Community Library.

--Reviewed by Ms. Angie

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