Hidden

October 13, 2014
This adventure-packed companion to Napoli’s Hush takes place in the 10th century, stretching over eight years in the life of fugitive Irish princess Brigid as she experiences four different lives. Kidnapped as an eight-year-old, along with her 15-year-old sister, Melkorka (the heroine of Hush), to be sold into slavery, Brigid literally jumps ship and swims ashore onto a foreign land, which turns out to be Jutland, in Denmark. Over the next eight years she plants herself in two families in different cultures, takes on new names, and leads a band of women pirates across the Baltic Sea, rescuing slaves while in search of her sister. A postscript explains that Napoli blended her fictional character’s story with that of Alfhild, the first known Norse woman pirate. Brigid’s extraordinary strength, bravery, and survival instincts, along with her obsession with rescuing her older sister, sometimes strain credibility, as does the ending, rewarding as it is. Dense with historical detail and overflowing with characters, this ambitious saga will find an audience with sophisticated readers looking to invest in a multifaceted, complex tale. Ages 12–up.

October 15, 2014
The origin story of the first Norse female pirate is imagined in this leisurely paced companion to Hush: An Irish Princess Tale (2007).Stolen from her home by Russian slave traders at the age of 8, Irish-born Brigid escapes and finds a home among the Norse, moving from family to family as she searches for her lost sister, Melkorka. "These are good people, but they're not mine. Time passes far too slowly. I need to grow up and leave; I need to find Mel." The opening chapters are exciting and fast-paced as Brigid, now known as Alfhild, fights for her very survival after throwing herself off the slave ship and finding an uneasy home with a Norse family that is suspicious of her background. Then the novel shifts into low gear as Alfhild roams the countryside from one settlement to the next, gathering skills and clues to her sister's whereabouts. It is only in the last quarter of the story, when Alfhild is 15 and commandeering a ship full of formerly enslaved women-turned-pirates that the pace picks up again with thrilling battles and daring rescues. As with all of Napoli's work, the history is meticulously researched and supported with a detailed bibliography. Readers who enjoy the journey more than the destination will find much to appreciate in this rambling saga that is an inspired blend of ancient facts and myth. (glossary, postscript, bibliography) (Historical fiction. 12-16)

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Starred review from November 1, 2014

Gr 7 Up-Readers who enjoyed Donna Jo Napoli's Hush (S. & S., 2007) and wondered about the fate of eight-year-old Brigid finally have their answers. The author uses her amazing ability to find the bare bones of an old story and flesh them out into a rich, living tale. This time, it is the story of Alfhild, feared female pirate of 10th-century Norse lore. Brigid survives her plunge into icy waters when escaping the slave ship she and her sister Melkorka were aboard. Upon realizing that Mel did not escape with her, she is determined to find her sister, no matter the long odds. But how to find one beautiful slave girl possibly traded anywhere in Europe? Brigid, or Alfhild as she comes to be called, ponders this question as she learns, grows, and thrives. Over several years, her circumstances change, allowing her to gain new skills as she travels from town to town, family to family, and between social classes. Her sister, her blood family, is the reason Alfhild continues her search, but the many adoptive families she becomes part of strengthen her to continue her quest. Brigid is a fictional character but Alfhild is an actual historical figure-this blending to fit a historical framework produces continued good fortune, which lends the work a folktale feel at times. Napoli seamlessly weaves cultural, mythological, and historical information together, immersing the readers in Norse life.-Lisa Crandall, formerly at the Capital Area District Library, Holt, MI

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2014
Grades 9-12 This companion to Napoli's Hush (2007) features Irish princess Brigid and her quest to find her older sister, Melkorka, so that they might immalle, stay together as their mother instructed when she sent them to hide from the Vikings. From eight-year-old Brigid's daring escape from a Viking slave shipwithout Meland her assumption of the name Alfhild (elf warrior) to her courage to leave two adopted Norse families and make her final journey in search of her sister, Brigid dares to challenge the early tenth-century roles of women, refusing to accept the Norse culture of violence and male entitlement. Napoli has embellished the legend of Alfhild, the first Norse woman pirate, and the novel takes on a life of its own once the now 15-year-old Brigid assumes this role. The author's spare, straightforward narrative blunts the overall horror of a girl's life as Brigid matter-of-factly describes her small victories and survival against all odds. Not for the faint of heart or the casual reader, but for those fascinated with well-researched historical fiction and women's issues, it's well worth the time and effort.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2015
Set in tenth-century Denmark and its environs, Hidden follows the fortunes of Brigid, sister of Melkorka, the main character of Napoli's Hush: An Irish Princess' Tale. Unlike Melkorka, Brigid escapes from the Russian slaver who has abducted them, taking refuge first with a family in northern Jutland; then with Astrid and Beorn, a former slave and her new husband; and finally with a queen and king in Jutland's main trading center. Now known as Alfhild (or "elf battle," for her seemingly otherworldly arrival and strong, upstart nature), Brigid becomes a competent sailor and archer; eventually, despite the love she bears her foster families and suitor, she heads out to search for news of her sister. She and her crew of women become notorious pirates (Napoli was inspired by the story of Alfhild, the first Norse woman pirate), roaming the Baltic and freeing those captured by slavers and returning them to their families. This is a warm-hearted, adventure-filled romp, steadied and enriched by enough historical underpinnings that it treads the fine line between historical fiction and romantic fantasy with aplomb. Napoli's portrayals of Norse language and culture, cultural assimilation and the slave trade, and sisterly loyalty contribute equally to the story's entertainment value. deirdre f. baker

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)