Coats, J. Anderson The Wicked and The Just, 336 p. Harcourt, 2012. $17. Violence: PG (beatings).
Cecily’s father promised her she would be mistress of the family steading – now she has been dragged to the wilds of Wales, and in 1293, it is pretty wild. Gwenhwyfar’s father was the respected head of their Welsh village, but when the English took everything for themselves, she and the other natives have been shoved into hovels, harassed and extorted. Now Gwen has been forced to serve the spoiled brat Cecily. And the explosive relationship between the two is just a small look at the rumblings under the surface surrounding the entire town and village.
The dual perspective between girls didn’t work for me – neither gave me the information I needed to paint a picture of life in 1293, not the environs, the personalities nor the political situation. A diehard historical fiction fan might want to decipher this, especially because it held so much promise, but it is not for a casual reader.
NO. Cindy, Library Teacher
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