cover image Druid's Gift

Druid's Gift

Margaret J. Anderson. Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, $12.95 (211pp) ISBN 978-0-394-81936-5

Set on several islands off the coast of Scotland, primarily around 1000 B.C., this novel's main character is Caitlin, who has the power to live briefly as parallel characters of other times on the islands. She is Catriona, Cathan and Catie, each of whom must chose to act for the good of the islands or not--all choices that revolve around Caitlin's decision whether to reconcile the increasingly hostile islanders with the druids who have recently settled nearby, or to let the two groups fight. As with her earlier novels, Anderson's rather giddy pace through the centuries and her lack of strong characterization is tempered by a marvelous sense of place and by smooth writing. Ages 10-14. (Mar.)