Summary: A beautiful retelling of a high-spirited young man's transformation into Saint Francis of Assisi, told through the eyes of the girl who loved him with all her heart . . .
Thoughts: While not a big fan of Scott O'Dell I always seem to grab his books whenever I see them, I don't know why but he's one of the very few historical authors whose works I read consistently. while I enjoyed the historical setting and the interesting ways of life presented with the different cultures scattered through the book.
The cast was hard to relate to. The main character was especially difficult to understand, she was entirely caught up with herself and her own daydreams and was unable to look past these for anyone else's sake.
The writing voice is O'Dell greatest strength. He really manages to carry you through and keep you reading even when you don't connect at all with he story; it's a little mesmerizing.
Content: There's violence from a war and, while not graphic, is given in enough detail to be seen as gruesome. The main leads both strip in public in one seen, they are not together but she follows his example which was meaningless because he was making a point alone. Same girl belly dances at another point. There's a short time when the main girl is on a ship full of harlots but she's in hiding most of the time and the talk she hears never describes anything. There's a story told of a naked woman waiting for a man in bed (he doesn't join her) and then same man stripping and laying on fire to make a point.
All in all this might be an interesting read if you're looking into the life of Saint Francis of Assisi or looking to expand your Scott O'Dell collection.
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