Book of a Thousand Days Paperback – September 1, 2009

I just finished reading this delightful book for the second time. It is 5:15 am.What I like most is how the author tells the story. I like the idea of a book or journal. I like “hearing “ Dashti’s voice. I love the culture and people she created. And I love Dashti. What a heroine!

Book of a Thousand Days is the second fairytale retelling that I read for It Takes Two this month, and I really enjoyed it! Unlike Tiger Lily, this story still played out like a fairytale, complete with a heroine you could root for, a handsome hero and the requisite happily ever after. While it certainly took some time for things to pick up, I enjoyed my experience with this book from start to finish.The main narrator of this story is Dashti, who is the girl writing down this story in her own private journal. It was clever of the author to use this perspective, as it allows us to have an insider’s look at Dashti’s thoughts straightaway. We ultimately get a very strong sense of who she is and what her past looks like; we also get immediate access to Dashti’s experiences and feelings at the present moment. Plus, thanks to the occasional sketch, we also get a visual of certain characters and moments in the book!I definitely rooted for Dashti because I loved how she tried to stay true to herself and her beliefs, even though it wasn’t always easy. While she certainly was not benevolent all the time (and she admits it), there’s a lot to admire about her. She’s got strength to her, both physically and internally, that I aspire to have myself. She cares and loves and remains loyal without question to the people she calls friend or family. I loved that she was this underdog character (a servant to the princess), but she eventually found a way to shine by using her own skills.Dashti is also a mucker, and I thought that was an extremely fascinating concept. Muckers are not healers, per se, but they have the ability to soothe hurts and aches and ailments through the power of song. Sometimes, I could sense how perfectly the song would help with an ailment; other times, I didn’t understand and thought it was nonsense. It was interesting to see how this skill set that Dashti had proved to be useful throughout the entire tale.There’s a lot of craziness that happens within these pages. To begin with, Lady Saren (who I’m SO not a fan of) and Dashti are locked up in a tower for seven years – and that’s crazy enough. Then, kingdoms are overrun and razed to the ground, and Dashti sacrifices a great many things in obedience to her duty and what she thinks is right – but everything fit together well. This story is, after all, a fairytale, and in fairytales, the impossible is always possible. Even though it seemed a little fanciful, I just went along with it, and certainly enjoyed it along the way.The important thing, to me, is that there’s a happy ending. I love a happy ending – who doesn’t? I wasn’t sure how things would work out for these characters that I loved, but I’m very, very happy with what the author chose to do. Honestly, I ended up closing this book with a very satisfied feeling because there’s an actually happily ever after.I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to read Book of a Thousand Days. It fits the bill for a fairytale retelling, as it takes the classic story of Maid Maleen (which I only realized I knew after I’d read the book) and purloins elements to create this fabulous new tale. I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in this book, and I can highly recommend this to fellow fans of fairytale retellings and happily ever afters.

Book of a Thousand Days is loosely based around the little known Brothers Grimm fairy tale called 'Maid Maleen'. Like the original tale a young girl is locked in a tower for 7 years by her father and when released finds her kingdom gone to marauders. Hale recaptures the essence of the story perfectly, while also doing what she does best; she re-conjures the tale as a story for young girls to read and find strength in.From the handmaiden Dashti's journal we see the events unfold that not only lead her Lady Saren to the tower, but also Dashti. Determined to keep an accurate recounting of their seven long years in the Tower, Dashti reports vary from the mundane ("My Lady doesn't recall squinting." pg. 24) to the frightening. Each entry is marked by the number of days they have been stuck inside the tower and Hale does an excellent job of communicating both Dashti's hope that things will work out and her despair that they will never see the sky again.The book is separated into two parts. There is the first part, which speaks of their time in the Tower and the second part, which talks of the after. In the first part Saren does little more than complain, moan and make Dashti's life more difficult then it already is. The moments of peace that descend are too far between and by the end of the second year even Dashti is becoming sick of Saren's whining. The second part Saren becomes slightly less of a burden. She spends much of the first half of the second part still whining and scared, but a gift from Dashti and a job she is good at lifts her spirits a lot. I liked her better for the job, though what she continually asks of Dashti is beyond the pale.The villain, Khasar, is despicable and terrifying. He sold his soul for a dark power that gives him an advantage, but makes him as inhuman as possible. How Dashti's deals with him is fitting. Saren's beau, Khan Tegus, is both flawed and perfect at the same time. He breaks his promise to Dashti and Saren, but when the true history between him and Saren is revealed is understandable.The novel has a distinctly asian flair to it--from the pictures that 'Dashti' draws in her journals to the belief system, but it fits quite appropriately. There is a number of ironic twists, but this is basically a story driven by characters. Like every day life not everything that happens to Dashti is 'adventurous' or 'amazing'. We are basically reading her diary and like any other diary there are mundane things that are important to her, but not necessarily life shattering.Book of a Thousand Days is a wonderful, amusing and thoughtful book that promotes a protagonist who isn't beautiful, but relies on her wits and her inherent good nature to survive. Dashti really epitomizes the old saying 'do good unto others' because proves it daily.

I really enjoyed this tale of mistress and faithful servant set in a country akin to Mongolia. The narrator is intelligent, ingenious and loyal. Her mistress, a dainty milksop who manages to keep going because of the determination of her maid. All in all an excellent novel of love and adventure suitable for all ages.

I only bought this on a whim when I was treating myself to some book bargains. I was very pleasantly surprised to find it a real delight. The story is captivating with people I cared about right from the start. I thoroughly enjoyed the way the story enfolds and I couldn't put it down.

Well written with interesting descriptions for young teens. A fantasy adventure that isn't as gruesome as many of it's contemporise. - mostly aimed at girls.

I enjoyed the content and story line of this book for it was gripping and exciting.also this book is really enjoyable and is impossible to put down.however whilst reading this book on my kindle some of the pages got a bit jumbled up and made It a bit confusing.of course this didn't occur in the book.

Book of a Thousand Days is all from the point of view of the maid, Dashti, and it's done in the style of diary entries. This was surprising but it actually made the story, in it's own way better. If you liked Shannon Hale's the Goose Girl then this is a book not to be missed. I loved it throughout and by the end I was grinning like crazy.