This is the story of a young noblewoman who believes she is in love with Francis Bernardone, who goes on to become the humble monk Francis of Assisi. In her wildly prideful passion, she pursues him, is sent to a convent, and then escapes to follow Assisi to Damietta, Egypt during the Fifth Crusade. The books paint a vivid picture of twelfth century Italy and the horror of the Crusades.
The Road to Damietta
by Scott O’Dell
©1985
ISBN 0-395-38923-2
Hardcover (out of print), 230 pages
Reading Level: at least High School (although I was horrified to find it on some middle years booklists)
Positive Elements
We have enjoyed a few of the other books by Scott O’Dell, most notably Island of the Blue Dolphins, and this book shares many of the same positive elements. It is beautifully written in first person narrative and effectively portrays the life and times of the Italian nobility during the late 1100′s.
Negative Elements
This book is stuffed full of inappropriate behaviour. The main character strips in public, lies to her family and guardians, blatantly disregards wise council, joins a brothel, and dances the dance of the seven veils trying to lure a man away from his priestly vows. Although nothing is portrayed explicitly and the young woman remains physically unscathed, it isn’t from lack of trying on her part.
Our Take
I threw this book across the room when I finished reading it. I felt defrauded out of my precious reading time. The LittlePage1 (who isn’t so little anymore) snapped the book off the library shelf, because she has read and enjoyed a few other O’Dell books. She brought it to me after a few chapters and asked if I would preview it for her. I kept hoping it would get better. I kept waiting for the young “heroine” to discover her own character flaws and to repent and grow.
I was extremely disappointed. She shamelessly traipses after a man dedicated to his God, strips before him twice clinging to the hope that he will abandon his commitment, and cares little for those who care about her. On the last page of the book she is asked whether she feels any “shred of contrition for all [her] lustful striving.” She shakes her head. She is not a saint and never will be one.
It was a disappointment to read over two hundred pages and end where the book had essentially begun.
Rating
Leave this one!
Learning Opportunities
None that I can think, except that not every book that a good author writes is a good book.
About the Author
Scott O’Dell (May 23, 1898 – October 16, 1989) was an American children’s author who wrote 26 novels for youngsters, along with three adult novels and four non-fiction books. He was most famously the author of the children’s novel Island of the Blue Dolphins (1960), which won the 1961 Newbery Medal as well as a number of other awards. Other award winning books by O’Dell include The King’s Fifth (1966), Black Star, Bright Dawn (1988), The Black Pearl (1967), and Sing Down the Moon (1970); which were all also Newbery Honor award books. O’Dell wrote primarily historical fiction. Many of his children’s novels are about historical California and Mexico. (Taken from Wikipedia)
Reviewed by MrsPages
For other book reviews, visit Semicolon’s Saturday Review
Related posts:
when you said “I threw this book across the room when I finished reading it. I felt defrauded out of my precious reading time.” I knew we could be really good friends. And how beautiful that (the not so) LittlePage1 asks for your “preview”….that’s fantastic.