Susan's Comments: This National Book Award Finalist is a wonderful historical tale with touches of fantasy and romance. Sixteen-year-old peasant Keturah wanders deep into the forest one day where she encounters death who arrives in the form of a caped man on a dark steed. Keturah, a master storyteller, tells Lord Death a tale of love to ward off his deathly touch. She bargains for another day of life by refusing to finish the story. Lord Death, moved by Keturah's intelligence and beauty, agrees - going so far as to give her back her life if she can find her true love by the next evening.
Keturah had learned from death that the plague was soon to overtake her village. She madly uses her extra day of life to save herself, her grandmother, her friends, and her entire village only to realize that she needs more time, particularly since her true love does not appear in a timely manner. She continues to bargain with Lord Death using her stories. Read this young adult novel to find out if Keturah can save her village and herself from Lord Death's clasp. Check Status
