Review: Hush: An Irish Princess’ Tale by Donna Jo Napoli

Melkorka is a princess, the first daughter of a magnificent kingdom in medieval Ireland–but all of this is lost the day she is kidnapped and taken aboard a marauding slave ship. Thrown into a world that she has never known, alongside people that her former country’s laws regarded as less than human, Melkorka is forced to learn quickly how to survive. Taking a vow of silence, however, she finds herself an object of fascination to her captors and masters, and soon realizes that any power, no matter how little, can make a difference.

Hush by Donna Jo Napoli is a young adult novel based on an ancient Icelandic saga. It’s written in first person, present tense which gives it a sense of immediacy and suspense. The book has a melancholic feel and is not a fairy tale or romance or a conventionally happy book–though in many ways Melkorka triumphs. The book does not sugarcoat the realities of the time Melkorka lives in (early 900s) although those realities are not overly graphic.

Melkorka’s father is looking for revenge over the Norse because a Norse boy cut off his son’s hand–but in case things go awry, his two daughters are sent away. It’s ironic that instead of safety the two girls are captured by slavers. With anguish Melkorka asks herself: would she have been safer staying in her village?

The slaver ship’s captain finds stork feathers among Melkorka’s clothing and calls her “Aist.” He thinks she can change into a stork and is filled with awe and even fear of her. Melkorka takes a vow of silence and finds that this coupled with the stork feathers gives her power. One of the other captives points out Melkorka’s silence gives her an edge with the captain (whom Melkorka calls “Clay Man” in her mind because he smells of clay).

“You are right to keep your voice to yourself, Aist,” she says into my ear. “Hush. You’re the one who started this silence–you have to keep it up. Or you lose yourself. He’ll just snuff you out.” She makes a puff of hot air that warms my brain. “Like that, like a lamp flame. A slave life counts for nothing unless the slave finds a trick. You’ve found yours. Stick to it. Hush.”

I don’t understand, But I will hold my tongue. The last person who told me to hush was Mother.

and

And I am the master of what I say. Clay Man can ask whatever he wants, however many times he wants. But all I listen to is the hush, from deep inside me.

and

I have very little power. But I have no doubt anymore: What power I have comes from my silence.

Early in the book Melkorka was disdainful of slaves. She thinks they are stupid. Her father owns slaves despite the church urging the people of Ireland to set them free. When she becomes a slave herself she discovers the powerlessness of slavery, but also the comradery of slavery.

“. . .Feel the magic, Aist? Right now, can you feel it? We are a family.”

And I do feel it. I snuggle closer to her.

“I’ve seen it before. Slavery has a way of foiling itself. . . . Temporarily, at least.”

Melkorka endures much as a slave and travels far (all the way past the Norse lands, through Russia to the Black Sea and finally to Iceland). Napoli has written a suspenseful and exciting book. I read the book in a matter of hours and highly recommend it.