High Maintenance Mom

In Shannon Hale's Book of a Thousand Days we follow Dashti, a maid, and her mistress through a journey that requires inner strength. The mistress and maid are locked in a tower after the mistress refuses to marry a man she despises. Dashti, the maid, writes of their time together and how she deals with the tasks she must perform to keep them alive. Along the way we find Dashti, who was brought up with nothing, happy and able to deal with difficult circumstances...

"Not all would say that. You're an antelope who bounds through life, I think. Here you are, locked in a tower and laughing still."

Whereas the lady, who was born with everything, remains in a deep funk and is unable to deal with the challenges she faces.

Sometimes I think there is something not quite right with my lady. She seems sad, but when I sing the song for sadness, she doesn't respond.

In today's world, where it feels as though our kids have so much immediate gratification, I love books that help us see how others deal with challenges. The strong female character who makes the best of a situation is refreshing as is the distant time without cell phones and iPods. I enjoyed this book so much, I have since read two other books by Shannon Hale (The Goose Girl and Enna Burning). If you are looking for a gift for a 7th grade or older girl (or a precocious younger child), I highly recommend Book of a Thousand Days.