Rue for Repentance: the Janna Mysteries

Felicity Pulman (author)

Random House, Australia: 2006; 297pp

ISBN: 1741661137

Genres: adventure, historical fiction

Issues: identity, choices, friendship

Having survived the vengeance of the villages, Janna is on the run, determined to use the papers she discovered amongst her mother's meagre belongings to help her find her mysterious father.

A lone traveller, especially a girl, is a target for thieves and scoundrels; Janna must conceal her identity. Disguised as a boy, she sets out through the King's Forest, only to find that the path is not as simple as she had hoped. She joins forces with Edwin, a serf fleeing a cruel master. Together they seek shelter on a manor farm.

As things begin to go wrong, Janna realises she cannot stay, lest she and Edwin be blamed for the petty crimes that are putting the welfare of the farming community at risk. But how can she leave when a child goes missing? When Hugh, the nobleman who has been kind to her before, asks for her help?

Sequel to Rosemary for Remembrance, this medieval adventure is somewhat predictable but will appeal to the fan of historical fiction. Felicity Pulman is an experienced writer and although the prose is somewhat purple (overwritten) in the first few chapters, it does settle down to a more readable style. The language is fairly formal, in keeping with the historical period, but still accessible to most readers. The higher level vocabulary in fact makes a pleasant change from the many novels for this age group that are written in an informal, colloquial tone.

Most readers of this age will have little knowledge of the long civil war in England between King Stephen and the Empress Maud as they fought to claim the throne but Pulman provides them with information as it is needed in the context of the narrative. Readers who enjoy this writer should be encouraged to try Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael mysteries which, although targeted at adults, are very readable and extremely accurate in their historical detail.

Same Author: Shalott; Return to Shallott; Shalott: the final journey; Ghost Boy