Genre: Middle Age/Young Adult
Number of pages: 336
Publication date: Aug 01 2017
In the city of Ark, speech is constrained to five hundred sanctioned words. Speak outside the approved lexicon and face banishment. The exceptions are the Wordsmith and his apprentice Letta, the keepers and archivists of all language in their post-apocalyptic, neo-medieval world. On the death of her master, Letta is suddenly promoted to Wordsmith, charged with collecting and saving words. But when she uncovers a sinister plan to uppress language and rob Ark’s citizens of their power of speech, she realizes that it’s up to here to save not only words, but culture itself.
The List won a White Raven Award in 2015, was nominated for the Irish Book of the Year, and received great critical acclaim from reviewers and authors
“A novel that truly stands apart for its originality and relevance.” —The Irish Times
PATRICIA FORDE lives in Galway, in the west of Ireland. She has published five books for children and written for television. In another life, she was a primary school teacher and the artistic director of Galway Arts Festival.