| Title | : | Hush: An Irish Princess Tale |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0689861761 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780689861765 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 309 |
| Publication | : | First published October 23, 2007 |
Based on an ancient Icelandic saga, award-winning author Donna Jo Napoli has crafted a heartbreaking story of a young girl who must learn to forget all that she knows and carve out a place for herself in a new world -- all without speaking a word.
Hush: An Irish Princess Tale Reviews
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This was a meticulously researched Viking historical fiction. It was extremely plausible in its brutal, unromanticized description of the fates of slaves and the bloody violence permeating the era. It also succeeded in showing the emotional and intellectual evolution of the protagonist, who starts out in the story as the pampered, arrogant daughter of an Irish king, and ends up the thoughtful, brave, and compassionate woman who belongs to an Icelandic chieftain.
I wish I could rate this higher because the writing flowed, there were some interesting, poetic touches, and overall the story was very well written. However, I absolutely hated the ending.
I don't mind an ambivalent or tragic ending. This is after all a historical fiction, not a romance. I didn't expect for her and her captor to walk away into the sunset.
However, I felt the message of hope that had followed the protagonist through her journey, despite all the pain and hardship she endured, was inexplicably and abruptly stifled. The author's note at the end exacerbated that issue.
We didn't even get to read about the moment where she would undoubtedly break that vow of silence. That was a powerful moment that the story was leading to and I feel robbed of it.
It would have also been interesting to read about her life in the Viking village instead of abruptly cutting it off at the end of the sea voyage. I was really underwhelmed and disappointed by the ending. -
This book! No- just no.
There are SO many things wrong with this book.
First of all is the blurb. I mean, just look at it! Irish princess gets stolen off as a slave and takes a vow of silence which entrances her captors. I mean- WOW! So much potential! Adventure, resolve, romance, mystery- it was all there.
Enter the author to chop up the story and make me hate it. Yes, HATE IT!
Mel is our "heroine", if she can even be called that. She's pampered, prejudiced, and weak. Now, I can forgive all that if during the course of the story she learns and changes. But SHE DOESN'T. Awful things happen and SHE DOESN'T GROW! And you think that the vow of silence is entrancing? No, it isn't. We're not even given a real reason of why she takes it. She just does, and somehow that draws attention.
Right, so. After a series of totally random and underexplained events, Mel gets kidnapped to a slave ship. Does she fight back? No. Does she have plans of escape? None that she puts into practice. Again, I'm alright with this, as long as the heroine grows and does something about her lot in life. Mel doesn't. She never puts up a fight, never takes chances, never grasps an opportunity. She has the chance to escape TWICE, and she just DOESN'T DO IT!! She just stands there BLINKING. And then feeling sorry for herself!! UGH.
As for the plot, it is disconnected, vague and senseless. Seriously. It leads NOWHERE. It has no sense of purpose. It all feels like a jumble of events thrown together, with a dash of historical information here and there. Irritating.
The prose? Slow and dull. Lifeless.
The narration? As slow and dull as the narrator Mel.
The message? None that I can see. It would've been a good story if Mel had grown up and fought back, or if she'd learned something from her misfortunes, but she doesn't. And everything is so hopeless, while at the same time so disconnected, that it just feels like a long string of sad stories.
And THE ENDING!! Oh, lord. I felt like throwing up. Do you know where Mel finds hope after a loooong time suffering misfortunes? Any guesses? . I am not kidding. .
I just- I don't even have words for how disturbing that ending is.
Horrible book. -
This book is no fairytale and there is no prince coming to save this princess. This novel is very, very well written....sometimes brutal, sometimes beautiful. This novel made me scream in frustation at the heroine's silence, and the characters came and went, never to be seen or heard from again. Nothing is sugar-coated, and even though it is never happy, it is never completely desolate either. This resonant novel of survival in the face of brutality is a must-read.
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Reviewed by JodiG. for TeensReadToo.com
What would you do if you were torn away from your life and everything you knew and forced into slavery? If you were taken to new places where people spoke different languages than you, how would you persevere?
Meet Melkorka, the oldest daughter of an Irish king. As members of royalty, Melkorka and her brother, Nuada, and sister, Brigid, enjoy life at the top of the social structure. In Dublin, travelers from around the world gather to sell their wares. The "heathen" Vikings are among them. Melkorka wants nothing more for her birthday than to visit the stores in Dublin with her family and find the perfect brooch for her cape. The trip ends tragically when her brother is attacked in one of the shops. Although Nuada has survived, he is disfigured and, therefore, no longer able to be the future king.
Melkorka's father, the king, develops a plan for revenge against the Viking offenders. The plan involves luring a Viking ship to their town. Melkorka and her younger sister, Brigid, are sent away in the dark of night to assure their safety.
Before they can reach their destination, Melkorka and Brigid are abducted and taken aboard a ship bound for an unknown destination. Although her instinct is to announce her royal status and demand to be treated as such, Melkorka succumbs to the hints from Brigid and the word she has heard her mother utter so often, "Hush." She becomes silent, refusing to speak to her abductors, the other prisoners, or even to scream at the horrors she sees inflicted upon others.
While Brigid manages a daring escape, Melkorka remains captive, forming silent bonds with those she is held prisoner with and captivating one of her abductors. Her silence becomes her strength, an unbreakable and enticing gift. But how will a princess adapt to life as a slave? Will she ever escape or will she remain silenced forever?
HUSH is based on an Icelandic folk tale. Donna Jo Napoli has gone to great lengths to create a story for the princess/slave described in the tale. Her writing draws you into the story; you can almost feel the cold air from the deck of the Viking ship. This is an amazing tale of strength and perseverance in the face of insurmountable challenges. A highly recommended reading experience. -
I'm not going to lie, I bought Hush on pure cover/title appeal (it was $3! Why not?). Gladly, I wasn't disappointed. Hush expands on a very small part of an
Icelandic saga, filling it out and bringing it to life quite nicely. It follows Melkorka, an Irish princess who is kidnapped by slave traders. While being transported aboard their longboat, Melkorka refuses to speak; coupled with other circumstances, her silence leads the leader of the slave traders to think she has powers, and he both reveres and fears her. This made for interesting interactions, and made Melkorka's whole journey more intriguing. Not to mention, I seem to have a thing for silent characters. It's such an interesting plot device, when done well.
What I liked most about this, I think, is that Napoli wasn't afraid to explore the harsher realities of Melkorka's life and the times she lived in. This is not a sugar-coated story; bad things happen. It felt very much like she was trying to truly explore and portray the life Melkorka-from-the-saga may have lived. Things are grim; people are feudal and rampaging - but still people, and still capable of all that's good and all that's bad in human nature. This is true of Melkorka, too. She doesn't start out a very likeable heroine. She starts out spoiled and haughty and not a very sympathetic character at all. But she grows and learns; it's a very wheel of fortune (the philosophy, not the game show) type of story. She starts on top, and like most people when they're at the top of the wheel, thinking they'll never hit the bottom, Melkorka looks down on those below her, and is sneering and if not cruel, then certainly not warm. Her family owns slaves themselves, so when Melkorka becomes one, it is obviously quite an adjustment to her world view. But this in keeping with the times and the saga, and it makes for a really interesting read.
That being said, you have to get there to enjoy it -- Melkorka doesn't make it easy to read in the beginning because it's hard to find her enjoyable or to want to root for her. This may turn some readers off and keep them from finishing, and it may make others never really care what she goes through. There were also a couple of things that I found to be too convenient and obvious plot devices, which may put readers off. I also think that those unfamiliar with the saga it's based on (and therefore unprepared for the ending and the lack of resolution) will be quite angry at the end. Especially those who are eternally on the hunt for happy endings.
But those who don't mind some struggle and harshness -- and a good dose of reality -- will likely be won over by this telling, though I do agree with
Heather that I would have liked to see this done as an adult story, where we could really explore and dig our teeth in. At the very least, I would have liked to see the story taken farther into Melkorka's life; though I understand the motivations to end it when Napoli did. -
Melkora, a 15-year-old Irish princess, is sent from home with her sister to hide while her father takes vengeance on Norsemen who cut off her brother's hand. They are caught by Russian slave traders who sail along the coast and kidnap women and children. Melkora follows the lead of her sister in keeping silent to conceal their royalty. Their silence give them a hold over their captors. The leader, Clay Man, thinks Melkora is an enchantress. Her sister makes a run for freedom, jumping overboard into the freezing sea, but Melkora is caught and now alone. Melkora allies herself with other women slaves, first Maeve, a storyteller who always knows where they are as though she'd been through this before, and later on the Icelandic ship with Lazy Eye, a healer. Though silent, she is not without voice. She has a way to influence first Clay Man and later the Icelandic king who buys her and makes her his concubine.
Slow going at first, I became enthralled with this saga, taken from an Icelandic tale. From the fear for children seen by the slave traders along the coast, to the gang rape of one of the women slaves, to the slave market in Miklagard, the capital of Byzans, Melkora witnesses much and the reader gets a feel for life in the tenth century.
Rereading this a second time is just as rich as the first. Napoli's writing is direct and unflinching, she writes of the putrid smells and the aroma of roast boar or the sweet aroma from an iron pot hanging over a fire before a woman yells at her, "Get on with you, you nasty thing."Napoli draws you into the stories told by Maeve and the friendship between Melkora and Thora, a Nordic slave. -
Hmmm....I liked the idea behind the story. But I felt that this one could have been done so much better. This story should've been told as a regular historical fiction novel and not as youth fiction.
We follow Mel, an Irish princess, as she is kidnapped and sold into slavery as a concubine. She's abducted with her sister as they are traveling to safety while their father is attacking some Viking royalty at home. They are to return when they here all is safe.
This is told in first person present tense, which is really difficult to write, in my opinion. And, for me, the story was hindered by it. We only get Mel's perspective and it's very splotchy. The story moves too fast and then too slow. I don't really feel like I get into her head with this perspective. Plus we never learn about others' thoughts and feelings within her world. We never learn about what happened to her sister when she escapes or if her family was killed in that attack. Also the story just ends. I want to know more about how she handles being in a home where she's a concubine, where she has to deal with his wife and how she handles having a child with this man who has raped her over a course of three months. I just felt it would have been a better story in a more adult context. I wanted to know her nitty gritty details about how she was handling all of this horror from being pampered royalty to becoming a slave and then to becoming a sex slave.
It does make you think about slavery and history and women's rights, etc, but not too much. It just could've been handled a lot better. -
This was a spontaneous grab at the library. It wasn't until I finished that I checked goodreads and found that I could have avoided a bad read if I would have read the reviews. Shame on me.
So that said this book is very realistic, meaning nothing works out too well. The poor girl becomes the victim of just about every bad thing for this time. The only good thing I can find from it is that beauty can be a terrible curse. Also, I found it ironic that in the process of trying to save her they took a chance that actually doomed her. Would it have been as bad having been married to the other guy? Did her family even manage to get their paltry revenge? I guess just like real life you never know what would have been if only you had made a different choice. I don't buy the happy ending. This book left me with a bad taste on the brain and my spirits a bit low. Hopefully, the next book I read will be a treasure.
Spoiler Section:
I don't like that she starts to like or possibly love the man who has been raping her and is now the father of her child. The idea that her future doesn't matter anymore so long as her son can be free. -
This was an unhappy story, based on an ancient Icelandic tale, of a strong Irish princess who was captured by slave traders. Her vow of silence kept her alive, and even gave her a little bit of power over her captors. A little bit of violence and some sexual scenes (one of them is a bit disturbing) makes me think that this book is meant for older kids - maybe 16 and up.
Napoli was very descriptive and gave an interesting account of what life was like for these people during the 900's.
Critical points:
1. I thought it moved a little too slow in some parts. It was a long, LONG journey...
2. Napoli ended the book so abruptly! It left me completely unsatisfied and full of questions that should have been answered. Napoli had an author's note at the end of the story that gave a little more information on the tale, but I wonder why Napoli didn't just include that in her story with details? Perhaps this is Napoli's style, as I've been frustrated with how she has ended other books.
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Warning-- This book is not for those that enjoy a happy story.
I personally liked it. But it certainly isn't happy or good. When you see "Princess' Tale" you shouldn't think of this book. Yes, it is about a princess, but it's about a princess who is captured as a slave and is horribly horribly mistreated. There were parts that my brain made me skip over, but what's facinating is that it's based off a true event/legend.
So... there you are.
ADDED THE NEXT DAY:
So as I was mulling in my bed last night it suddenly hit me-- they didn't answer any of the questions! I guess I had forgotten because the questions were all at the very beginning of the book but still... anyway. Still a good book. But you've been warned.
Click here for a more detailed review. -
Based on an ancient Icelandic tale, this is the story of Irish princess Melkorka. Captured by Vikings and sold into slavery, she reinvents herself as a mute enchantress. A twist to this story is the power of silence rather than the power of speech.
I liked the story, and younger female readers will enjoy the empowerment of the Melkorka. Still, it was a sad tale. After all that she endured, I can not say that the ending was a happy one. But it wasn't a hopeless ending either.
Which brings me the need to rant a bit. Why is it that so many YA tales are dark, hopeless, tales? It would seem at that at this time in life, YA's would need the uplifting,hopeful stories of good/vs/evil and such. Maybe I am just missing something, though, but this is the fourth YA book that I have recently read that makes me feel bad about life and mankind. -
Somehow this book left me sicker than Lolita did, even sicker than The End of Alice did. Sometimes people use "nausea-inducing" as a kind of compliment, but for those books it had a point, however slight - here, there is nothing but endless bleakness and crushed hope. It's almost as bad as Candide or Justine and not nearly as entertaining as either.
I never thought Donna Jo Napoli would fall to rape-to-love schlock. In fact, there's a lot about Napoli's style that's just not up to par in this work. She always takes opportunities to insert interesting tidbits from her research in her historical novels, but the way she does this in Hush - an inexplicably educated peasant who likes spewing information at unlikely times a la Dorothy Ann of The Magic School Bus - is almost laughably contrived.
It'll be a while before I pick up another Donna Jo Napoli novel. -
the story had potential but oh, it was just awful.
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3.5 stars
In essence, this is a fictional novel based on an Irish slave, formerly a princess, named Melkorka who ends up in Iceland at the end and is mentioned in
The Saga of the People of Laxardal and Bolli Bollason's Tale, well, the only GR volume I can find names two books in a combined volume, but it's in the Saga. This means that the vast majority of it is pure fiction. What it is NOT is a fantasy novel--there is no magic nor are there any magical or mythological creatures anywhere in it, so I am confused as to why 64 people have shelved this as fantasy!
Melkorka, 15, is an Irish princess who is captured by Russian slavers along with her younger sister. Once on the boat, she refuses to speak, thus the title, and is encouraged to keep her silence by a woman who also helps her build a mystique by calling her a special name which makes the superstitious captain wary of her and take much better care with her than he otherwise would have.
I'm not going to give a plot or story summary, but if you enjoy y/a historical fiction from the middle ages, this is a book for you. -
This was OK. There were some decent plot twists and it kept me guessing as to the ending. I guess I was somewhat disappointed but then found out in the author's note that it was loosely based on an old Icelandic tale, so the author didn't have much wiggle room. In any case it was an easy read and disappointing only in its dropping of characters.
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an easy afternoon read
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I read this book while I was in middle or high school, and I was way too young to be reading this. The events that transpire are not appropriate for young teenagers, the themes are way too adult. I don't know who would think it was okay to write this as a YA novel, but it is so not okay. And after reading this, the first book I'd read by this author, and then reading Smile, and then hearing about her novel Beast from my sister, I see what kind of stories the author likes to write and they all suck.
It's been so many years since I've read this but a few things stand out. I really didn't like this book, one because the main character gets kidnapped and doesn't do anything to stop it. Then she's on the ship thinking about escaping, but doesn't make any move to do so. Who would be kidnapped and then just take it meekly and not try even once to escape? That makes no sense. Other people had jumped the boat I believe, but not out girl. She sticks it out. Meanwhile, some women are being raped on the ship I think, and one acts crazy so no one will touch her. I hope I'm remembering this right.
Mel is sold as a slave, a man buys her and has sex with her. Me reading about sex as a young teenager was really wrong, and it was confusing too. I believe the description was something about him taking her dress off and moving or something, and then she becomes pregnant. Another woman on the ship gives her a boiled egg to help with morning sickness. He's intrigued by her silence, thinking she's special because she can't speak. When in reality there's no good reason why she isn't talking. When they land at his homeland, it's discovered that he has a wife and children. That's so disgusting and so freaking advanced for a YA novel. Your master cheating on his wife and family with a young girl who he bought as a slave. That's such a bad story. His wife sees that she's pregnant, knows it's his and gets mad, maybe gets rid of her. He comes at one point and she's talking to their baby, because she could talk all along, so now he knows that. And the story ends and she still sucks but has hope for the baby. This is the story that's presented to teenagers. I'm never reading this author again because the stories are too depressing and dark and terrible. -
Melkorka is the 16-year-old daughter of a medieval Irish king around 900 A.D. When she and her younger sister, Brigid, are sent away for safety before an attack by Vikings, they are captured by foreign slave traders and taken on a long sea voyage. Melkorka has always been free with voicing her questions and opinions, but now staying silent is what's keeping her safe, since the leader believes she has magical powers and doesn't want to incur her wrath. They go from Ireland through the North Sea to what is now Sweden, where her captor intends to sell them all as fine young virgins.
Well-written retelling with good major and minor characters. Napoli integrates lots of info about life in medieval northern Europe, and Ireland in particular. There's a simple map included for the visual among us, like me. There's also basic pronunciation guide for medieval characters like ð and þ, but a glossary with more complete pronunciations would be helpful.
Like in the Icelandic saga it's based on, this retelling leaves several important elements unresolved, which was unsatisfying to me but true to the story, and it also recreates Melkorka's situation and frame of mind more authentically for the reader, since she never found out either. Good read for fans of Napoli and realistic medieval fiction. -
M Melkorka is a princess in medieval Ireland. She has everything a girl could want, until one day a raiding slave ship captures her and her sister. With no weapons to fight her assailants, she decides to remain mute. In her silence she finds power. Her captors find her appealing which adds to her value. Donna Jo Napoli has successfully written another reinterpretation of a classic tale. Some scenes allude to rape which make this book more appropriate for older teens. The descriptive language in this book will draw readers into the medieval world.
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It was horrible. The plot was boring and predictable and bland and so were the characters. The ending did not fit the main character's personality and what was happening throughout the novel. It was like the author did not know what to write the ending as, and deciding to end it like the way it was ended.(I won't spoil it). The best thing to compare it to was to when an author ends something with "and she wakes up, and realized it was all a dream", even this was no dream, the ending was just as bad and ruined all the building the book did.
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I wish I didn't finish this book. It is not an Irish princess tale, as described on the cover. It is a depressing story about kidnapping, slavery, and rape. Not sure why it would be recommended to a YA audience. The ending is also pointless and made me angry. I understand it is based on an Icelandic story, that does not make up for lazy story building and no character development. Also, be prepared for lots of rape.
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I had totally forgotten that I'd read this, but I'm glad I remembered it, because I had really enjoyed it! The idea of the story and setting is very different from almost any other books I've read, and it was just a really interesting and enjoyable read!
I had no idea it was a duology though, so now I want to go and read the second book. I'll probably have to reread this one first however, because I've forgotten most everything except the overall plot. -
I was completely caught up in this retelling of an Icelandic tale that came complete with a kick-ass Irish Princess heroine, Vikings, and a snippet of history I'd never read about before.
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Great book. Loved how the main character only spoke in her mind. I would have liked her to find romance but I suppose in a way she did. Not every story has a happy ending.
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Wow. That was a really nice read! The tedious begining was actually worth reading - for the ending. ^.^
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I'm sad to mark this as DNF. This is not my first read from this author.
The King of Mulberry Street was a great read that I lost sleep over. Initially I did have trouble getting into it and had to restart it because I set it aside for too long. But once I got back to it, I loved it!
I faced the same problem with this book and was hoping that maybe I would be more invested if I just kept going. Sadly, this was not the case.
Unfortunately, I don't have many positive points. If I had to pick a favorite character, it would be Brigid (I think I spelled that right). Despite only being 8 years old, she had more common sense than Mel. Now, since I didn't finish- I don't know Brigid's fate but what I did read- she took action which says a lot.
Cons/Dislikes:
1) I did not like Mel. At all. Her attitude was bratty and snobbish. Her tone/voice wasn't engaging. When it came to the characters in general- I didn't care for any of them really. The mom scared me. The crew of the slave ship didn't have much personality and it was so hard to tell them apart. The captives were slightly more unique and individual but again, I just didn't like them. As I mentioned earlier- Brigid would have to be my favorite of what I read.
2) While the plot had serious potential to be exciting, I personally found it slow. Even when it really picked up- I just couldn't get into it.
3) There was a bit of TMI and rape. From what I read in other reviews, there's more of this to come and it's not handled well. One reviewer mentioned something to the effect that Mel somehow found hope through this "relationship" with the man who bought her??? Yeah. Reading those reviews is a large part of why I finally called it quits.
Needless to say, I was disappointed. Others may really enjoy this book, but it just wasn't for me. I'm not going to write this author off, because I did really enjoy The King of Mulberry Street. Hopefully this one was just a fluke. -
Even though I read the Hidden first and this book second, there was no confusion and I still very much loved reading both of these stories. I liked how Mel mentioned her sister whenever she needed consoling and it was clear to the reader just how much she relied on Brigid and just how much she missed her. There was a lot of very meaningful symbolism with the stork feathers which was meant to be a gift for Brigid but ended up reminding her to be as silent and near the end, as motherly as a stork. I also thought that Brid the honey buzzard was a very consoling presence for Mel as she came to realize that home is where you make it and not where you grew up. I also liked how Napoli gave up some characters when they’re time in the story had finished; she didn’t hold on to them for dear life and it felt like a natural bridge into the next part of Mel’s journey. I loved this book just as much as I loved Hidden because the writing is beautiful and the story is very special and not like anything else I have ever or will ever read. I love how folklorish it is and how throughout both books, the protagonists’ name changes whenever they move in to a new part of their journey but they still never forget their old names and what they represented.
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Now.... I just want a larger novel of the same story.
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The three stars are because the book is very well-written. It's because of everything else that it's only three stars, and I considered giving it less.
The story is based on an incredibly unpromising hook from Icelandic myth: a mute slave is heard speaking Gaelic, and admits to being an Irish princess, named Melkorka. It's interesting, yes, but it's unpromising because nothing else happens to Melkorka. I think Donna Jo Napoli was interested in why Melkorka would have chosen to make herself mute for years, and that is a good question. It's just not answered.
Why does Melkorka initially choose to be silent? Being gagged might have had something to do with it. She falls into the habit of silence, and it's only after she sees the entirely inexplicable effect it has on the slavers who kidnapped her that she sticks with silence. Why does it have such an effect on them? I really don't know. I think the slavers saw her as possessed by a stork, a witch, or a witch possessed by a stork, but it's never made clear why they would think that instead of that she simply can't speak. It's left hanging, unexplained.
Other things left unexplained: when Melkorka is kidnapped, she's with her sister. Her sister escapes, maybe. Once she jumps off the ship, she's never seen or heard from again. The entire first 75 pages of the book are involved in a complicated revenge scheme her family dreams up, and when Melkorka and her sister are kidnapped, they don't know what's happened to their family, if their scheme has worked, or if it backfired and the whole rest of their family are dead. And we never do find it. It's dropped, with never another word on their fate. This realistic, yes, but it's not necessarily good storytelling. I was left frustrated and wondering why the author even bothered with them in the first place.
One last thing: Melkorka's final destination is to be bought as the concubine of a Norse chieftain. Her consent is, of course, neither provided nor asked for. And, after a few weeks, that seems to be just fine with Melkorka. This just gets back to why I disliked her as a protagonist: she simply bows under what happens to her. The lesson, I suppose, is that if you get kidnapped and sold into sexual slavery, the best thing to do is to give to your captor, because he's not such a bad guy after all. Luckily, this happens in the last few pages, because this is exactly where this book and I would have parted company entirely.
To sum up: a plot with a lot of holes and unanswered questions, a main character who's a lot weaker than I would have liked, and a very Unfortunate Implication.
