From School Library Journal
Grade 6-9-- The Scathach, a crochety, ageless magic and mischief-maker, takes under her protection Maeve Moira, daughter of an eighth-century Irish king. In a series of short vignettes, readers follow the first Maeve's descendants from 12th-century England to 17th-century Canada to a futuristic 21st-century New York City. Through the years, the Scathach appears to the girls in times of crisis, often in the form of a bird. The device of following people through generations, linking them with a talisman or piece of jewelry (a silver medallion), is not a new one, and has been used more successfully by Margaret Anderson in The Druid's Gift (Knopf, 1989). Occasional awkward writing slows the narrative flow. Walker's ability to create characters comes through clearly in her portrayal of the Scathach and of Maeve Nicole in the final chapter of the story, but the other characters do not come to life. --Ruth S. Vose, San Francisco Public Library
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