Ahh. Three days off in a row. One for snow and two for sickness. It is stolen time. Time that was meant to be spent working is now available for other things– playing with kids, watching TV shows you never get to see, curling up with a good book, catching up on household chores. This morning I used some of that stolen time to read a book that has been waiting on my nightstand for months. Incantationby Alice Hoffman. I picked this book when shopping the book fair at one of my schools this past fall. I knew from reading other Alice Hoffman books that this book would make me think. I was not wrong. Even though I was able to read the book in a short amount of time, I think it will be with me, making me think, for many days to come.
Incantation is an enthralling story set in a time distant from our own, a time filled with betrayal, hatred, lies and secrets. Yet, in an interview with the author, Alice Hoffman says that she was led back to the Spanish Inquisition by her quest to understand our own world. She says that theirs was a world of concealed identities and fear. I can’t help but wonder if she sees this in our world too. Who are the people our society has forced into hiding?
In the story, Estrella learns of her family’s concealed identity and learns to embrace it even though there are grave consequences. In her words, “Some people say save yourself and save your life. I say Be yourself and you save your soul.”
I recommend this book for girls 14 and up. Even though Accelerated Reader lists it as a 5.o reading level, I think the Hoffman’s beautiful use of figurative language might be challenging for younger readers.
