Scholastic Inc | ISBN 9780545578004 Ebook
352 Pages | Ages 12 & Up
Scholastic Inc | ISBN 9780545166669 Hardcover
352 Pages | 5.71" x 8.54" | Ages 12 & Up
In the world of Sorrow's Knot, the dead do not rest easy. Every patch of shadow might be home to something hungry, something deadly. Most of the people of this world live on the sunlit, treeless prairies. But a few carve out an uneasy living in the forest towns, keeping the dead at bay with wards made from magically knotted cords. The women who tie these knots are called binders. And Otter's mother, Willow, is one of the greatest binders her people have ever known.
But Willow does not wish for her daughter to lead the lonely, heavy life of a binder, so she chooses another as her apprentice. Otter is devastated by this choice, and what's more, it leaves her untrained when the village falls under attack. In a moment of desperation, Otter casts her first ward, and the results are disastrous. But now Otter may be her people's only hope against the shadows that threaten them. Will the challenge be too great for her? Or will she find a way to put the dead to rest once and for all?
TD Canadian Children's Literature Award, 2011
YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, 2010
Nominee, CLA Book of the Year for Children Award, 2011
Nominee, Sunburst Award, Young Adult category, 2011
Nominee, Rocky Mountain Book Award, 2012
"[Plain Kate] demonstrates a mature, haunting artistry . . . The plot unfolds with the swiftness and dramatic urgency of an adventure tale, yet each event has a measured gravity . . . [An] outstanding novel." —The New York Times Book Review
"Original and sometimes disturbing, Plain Kate is a compelling story of dark magic and a remarkable debut by a talented writer." —Quill & Quire, starred review
"Beautiful and haunting, tragic and lovely, this is a book that is as exquisite as it is disquieting." —Canadian Children's Book News
