WATERMARK

Author: Vanitha Sankaran ISBN: 9780061849275 4/2010 HISTORICAL FICTION Publisher: HARPER COLLINS
Time Period: 1320

The daughter of a papermaker in a small French village in the year 1320—mute from birth and forced to shun normal society—young Auda finds solace and escape in the wonder of the written word. Believed to be cursed by those who embrace ignorance and superstition, Auda's very survival is a testament to the strength of her spirit. But this is an age of Inquisition and intolerance, when difference and defiance are punishable "sins" and new ideas are considered damnable heresy. When darkness descends upon her world, Auda—newly grown to womanhood—is forced to flee, setting off on a remarkable quest to discover love and a new sense of self . . . and to reclaim her heritage and the small glory of her father's art.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Auda is not your average girl living in France during the early 1300s. She was born an albino, is mute and the daughter of a papermaker. Her family has always taken care not to draw too much attention to her. After all, this is a time of witch hunts, religious struggle and persecution. Auda shares her father's passion for papermaking and, like him, hopes to see their business grow as others see the practicality of paper over parchment.  As their dreams appear to come true, they are inadvertently drawn into danger as the hunt for the Good Men and Witches takes hold in their city.

This was a good book, and one I have already recommended to others. Vanitha Sankaran truly succeeds in bringing us a good read set during the Middle Ages. While she doesn't provide the historical facts/background you might find in a book by Sharon Kay Penman or Philippa Gregory, she certainly has a similar voice. If Ms. Sankaran continues to write historical fiction, I wouldn't be surprised to see her ranked in their category someday. This is an author I would like to follow to see how she evolves and grows. She's off to a good start with WATERMARK.

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