紐伯瑞金獎作家 凱特．狄卡密歐 X 凱迪克金獎得主 蘇菲．布雷克爾聯手打造史詩級童話★科克斯書評、書單雜誌等知名書評網星級評論★文字的力量足以拼寫整個世界！一個會閱讀和寫字的女孩；一則令國王心生畏懼的預言，如何改變這個不受控的失衡世界？這個年代，女性閱讀、寫字是違法的。昏倒在憂傷年代記修會的女孩碧翠絲竟然會讀書！他們說她被施了巫術，國王因此下令追殺她！於是她遭遇了三次黑暗，一隻關愛著她的山羊、一位眼珠瘋狂亂轉的修士和一個不識字的男孩，來幫助她找到出路、走進光中。現在，她被國王抓走，碰上了第四次黑暗……《憂傷年代記》預言：有一天，將出現一個小女孩，廢去國王王位，帶來莫大改變……戰爭期間，一個神祕的孩子出現在「憂傷年代記修會」。溫柔的伊迪克修士發現了這個女孩蜷縮在畜棚裡，發著高燒，穿著沾染鮮血的汙穢外套，抓著瘋狂山羊安薇莉卡的耳朵。當修士為她護理、消毒傷口時，揭露了女孩的危險祕密，也就是這個女孩認識字！為修會撰寫預言的伊迪克修士知道她的名字叫做碧翠絲，她就是那個預言中將廢去國王王位的女孩。修會的神父害怕碧翠絲為修會帶來災難，於是藉機趕走了碧翠絲。碧翠絲知道自己就是國王要找的那個「被施了巫術」的女孩，她想起國王下令殺了她的兩個弟弟和家庭教師；她想起母親失蹤前總是對她說：「妳要一直記得，妳是亞貝拉的碧翠絲，妳的血脈裡流著強而有力的血液。」於是她決定到城堡和國王正面對質，並找到失蹤的母親。然而在出發之前，碧翠絲先被抓到了！她被關進黑暗中，不過她知道，那些愛她的人不會放棄找她，像是那位眼珠瘋狂亂轉的修士、一個不識字但帶著可怕的劍的男孩、一隻頭硬得像石頭的山羊，以及那位曾經是國王的長鬍子男人。知道有人愛著她，就是知道一切。◆蘇菲‧布雷克爾：「故事中的男孩不會閱讀，可是碧翠絲會，這段情節讓我們了解到人類能夠認知到自己不會做的事，並接受幫助，以便能完成那些原本不會做的事。這點非常振奮人心。」◆凱特‧狄卡密歐：「我想把這本書獻給我媽媽。我很小的時候，學校沒有教我們「閱讀」這件事，但是我非常心急的想要閱讀，回家後媽媽為我做了許多字卡。學會閱讀後，我覺得好像開啟了一扇進入充滿光的房間的大門。」
A magical medieval tale from two masters, Newbery Medal-winning Kate DiCamillo and Caldecott Medal-winning Sophie Blackall - a fantastical meditation on fate, love and the power of words to spell the world. We shall all, in the end, be led to where we belong. We shall all, in the end, find our way home.In a time of war, a mysterious child appears at the monastery of the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing. Gentle Brother Edik finds the girl, Beatryce, curled in a stall, wracked with fever, coated in dirt and blood and holding fast to the ear of Answelica the recalcitrant goat. As the monk nurses Beatryce to health, he uncovers her dangerous secret - one that imperils them all.And so it is that a girl with a head full of stories must venture into a dark wood in search of the castle of a king who wishes her dead. But should she lose her way, Beatryce knows that those who love her - a wild-eyed monk, a man who had once been king, a boy with a terrible sword and a goat with a head as hard
NYT Best Children's Books of 2021From two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo and two-time Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall comes a fantastical meditation on fate, love, and the power of words to spell the world. We shall all, in the end, be led to where we belong. We shall all, in the end, find our way home. In a time of war, a mysterious child appears at the monastery of the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing. Gentle Brother Edik finds the girl, Beatryce, curled in a stall, wracked with fever, coated in dirt and blood, and holding fast to the ear of Answelica the goat. As the monk nurses Beatryce to health, he uncovers her dangerous secret, one that imperils them all--for the king of the land seeks just such a girl, and Brother Edik, who penned the prophecy himself, knows why. And so it is that a girl with a head full of stories--powerful tales-within-the-tale of queens and kings, mermaids and wolves--ventures into a dark wood in search of the castle of one who wishes her dead.
