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nancy@nancykeane.com
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Skurzynski,
Gloria.
SPIDER'S VOICE
New York : Atheneum Books
for Young Readers, 1999.
IL YA
ISBN 0689821492
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| Spider’s
Voice is based on the true story of 12th century lovers Abelard and Heloise.
Visitors to Paris even today place flowers at their tombs. In the
12th century it was felt that scholars should be celibate so Abelard was
flaunting tradition in his affair with Heloise even more so when
he married her. Spider is the author’s invention but he's very much
real in this book. Born a peasant, Aran is a mute. His father
despises him for being imperfect. Aran’s mother loves him, but dies
while Aran is still young. When Aran and his older brother, Eustace,
travel to Paris to sell the yarn Aran has spun, Eustace gets drunk and
is robbed of all the money. Not wanting to go home empty-handed, he sells
Aran to a collector of freaks. His fate is to be turned into
a human spider. Aran’s body is encased in a metal carapace from his
shoulders to his hips. The idea is to force all his growth
into his arms and legs. Fortunately for Aran, he is rescued by Abelard
who takes Aran as his servant and frees him from the carapace. Knowing
what the carapace was meant to be and unable to determine Aran’s name because
Aran cannot speak not write, Abelard calls him Spider. This is only
the beginning of Spider’s life with Abelard and the bizarre circumstances
that lead to the tragedy of the great love between Abelard and Eloise.
Travel back to the 12th century and learn the secret of Spider’s Voice.
(Mary Huebscher, Librarian, Holy Cross of San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
marwood45@hotmail.com) |
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SUBJECTS:
Abelard, Peter, 1079-1142 -- Fiction.
Heloise, 1101-1164 -- Fiction.
France -- History -- Medieval period, 987-1515 --Fiction.
Mute persons -- Fiction.
Physically handicapped -- Fiction. |
© 
Permission is granted for the
noncommercial duplication and use of this resource, provided it is substantially
unchanged from its present form and appropriate credit is given.
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