CCBC Booklists

CCBC Review:

Set in the independent Jewish empire of Khazaria in the tenth century, Ziva and her twin brother, Pesah, search desperately for a cure to Pesah’s leprosy. Although Pesah resides in a separate building to avoid transmission of his disease, Ziva can’t stay away from her twin. Who else will change his bandages? The two concoct experimental salves to try to cure Pesah’s sores, but when Ziva overhears her uncle’s plan to send Pesah to a colony where he will eventually die, she takes drastic measures. Escaping with the family wagon, the twins head for Byzantium, where they hope to find doctors. They feel a particular urgency after Pesah has a vision in which he meets malach ha-mavet, the Angel of Death, on Rosh Hashanah—the holiday is fast approaching. Along the way, Ziva frees a sheyd, or demon, from captivity; in turn, he leads the twins to a city called Luz, where malach ha-mavet is not permitted. But Luz is not what the twins expect; a life there will be devoid of pleasure and meaning. Unwilling to simply leave and let Pesah die, Ziva attempts to bargain with the Angel of Death. A novel firmly grounded in Khazarian Jewish culture avoids the problematic trap of magical healing for Pesah; instead, Ziva’s and Pesach’s painful, heartbreaking acceptance of Pesah’s approaching death is thoughtfully and sensitively portrayed. ©2022 Cooperative Children’s Book Center 

CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 9-12
Age Range: Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10) Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format: Novel
Subjects: Death and Dying Faith, Spirituality and Religion Fantasy Illness and Disease Jewish People Journeys and Quests Siblings Turks and Turkish Americans
Diversity subject: Asian Jewish Physical
On CCBC Booklist: Fantastic Fiction: Great Fantasy Books for Ages 11 to 17 

Publishers: HarperCollins, Versify
Publish Year: 2022
Pages: 313
ISBN: 9780358572039
CCBC Location: Fiction, Pasternack

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