Hush!

Rarely do I ever find a book where I enjoy it part of the way and get bored half way through, then get excited towards the end. Those excitement waves in books takes the readers on a roller coaster ride where the readers stops somewhere where in the middle and falls flat on their rears. The reader looks around and asks, what just happened? This is one of those books. The author takes the reader on an excitement roller coaster ride and she drops them off somewhere. That's how I felt when I finished the book.
This book starts out with Melkorka at her home in Eire. She is an Irish princess who thus far has lead a life of luxury and happiness. Her parents had given her and her sisters the happiness most children in her time didn't get. Then one day when her father hears that they are going to be attacked by Vikings, he sends Melkorka and her younger sister, Bridget, off to a place of safety but on their way the the sisters gets kidnapped. This begins Melkorka's life of silence and the ordeals she has to go through to survive on her own.
I found her writing enriching and wholesome. Some of the images and references she makes to her being pregnant was wonderful. She also makes nice references to how her being hush has actually gotten her far in life, and led her to leading a nice adventure in life where things could have been worse for her if she had talked, but since she remained quiet things turned out well for her. Her being quiet and beautiful lead her to being loved by a nice man who then, in the authors note, made her become his slave because his wife did not approve of their relationship. Things got worse for her when he heard her talking too, but I won't say too much since I don't know who has read this book, but the information is available online.
Melkorka's silence and obedience leads her to having a comfortable life as a slave. She also has a good heart and the ability to show her goodness through her good nature.We learn that there are times when we should be silent. It is not good to be silent all the time, but it should be incorporated in life. Donna Jo Napoli writes a book where she teaches the readers that 'Silence is Golden.'