Illuminated

The discovery of an ancient palimpsest, a medieval Book of Hours written over an earlier composition, sparks a quest to unearth its origins. Sixteen-year old Callie interns with her uncle, an illuminated manuscripts expert, and joins NYU student August on a treasure hunt that turns dangerous once the book’s value becomes known. Their search takes them from Manhattan to Paris, unveiling layers of parallel love stories along the way. Visionary dreams lead them to the centuries-old star-crossed love affair of Heloise and Abelard, and their tragically abandoned son, Astrolabe. Callie’s personal quest to understand her long-dead mother (“I’ve spent my life... hoping she would whisper to me the way the scrawl in the margin whispered to Uncle Harry”) feeds her yearning, while her keen observation of both healthy loves (Harry and his partner, Gabe) and destructive ones (her father and his numerous girlfriends) provides instruction in the promise and perils of passion, as her feelings for August grow. Though occasionally choppy, Orloff’s (the Magickeepers series) combination coming-of-age, historical mystery, ghost story, and romance satisfies on many levels. Ages 12–up. (Dec.)