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Keturah and Lord Death

3.88 of 5 stars 3.88 · rating details · 5,581 ratings · 991 reviews

I will tell you a story of magic and love, of daring and death, and one to comfort your heart. It will be the truest story I have ever told. Now listen, and tell me if it is not so.

Keturah follows a legendary hart deep into the forest, where she becomes hopelessly lost. Her strength diminishes until, finally, she realizes that death is near--and learns then that death is a...more

Hardcover, 216 pages

Published November 28th 2006 by Front Street (first published January 1st 2006)

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Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt

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Community Reviews

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Mar 21, 2012 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I can't even tell you how much I loved this book...made even more special because it will forever be the book that I read the day my mom died. And I think that was "meant to be". The way death (not the person) is treated in the book is so reverential and gave me a great perspective...like this passage:

"Tell me what it is like to die."
He dismounted from his horse, looking at me strangely the whole while, "You experience something similar every day, " he said softly. "It is as familiar to you as...more

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Jul 15, 2011 Tatiana rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of fairy tales similar to "Plain Kate"

Recommended to Tatiana by: Jillian -always aspiring-

Shelves: national-book-award, ya, 2011, fairy-tales

I have been such a Debbie Downer lately, moaning so much about lack of good books, that I completely forgot how much I enjoyed Keturah and Lord Death.

You know how some authors can infuse magic in their works using simple, everyday words? Their stories always have that fairy tale air about them. Robin McKinley is great at it, Laini Taylor, Erin Bow, Juliet Marillier. And so is Martine Leavitt.

Keturah and Lord Death is a simple enough novel with familiar fairy tale themes. 16-year old Keturah lose...more

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Mar 08, 2008 Bonnie Gayle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-sf, historical-fiction, reviewed, library-books

Gah! This book was wonderful, and would be an automatic add to my favorites, except for 2 things. I know. Me and my 2 picky things, but they're big issues. Maybe eventually this will go in my favorites, but for now those 2 things are bugging me too much.

Keturah follows a beautiful deer into the woods one day, and after a long chase, discovers that she is lost and cannot find her way back. On the verge of dying, Lord Death comes to take her, but, Keturah, renowned in her small town for her storyt...more Gah! This book was wonderful, and would be an automatic add to my favorites, except for 2 things. I know. Me and my 2 picky things, but they're big issues. Maybe eventually this will go in my favorites, but for now those 2 things are bugging me too much.

Keturah follows a beautiful deer into the woods one day, and after a long chase, discovers that she is lost and cannot find her way back. On the verge of dying, Lord Death comes to take her, but, Keturah, renowned in her small town for her storytelling abilities, tells Lord Death the story of a girl who has lived her whole life waiting for her true love. Lord Death is taken by her story, and also by her, and lets her have a reprieve of one day, but he will take her as his own wife the next night if she has not found her true love.

The next day Keturah goes to the town Witch and gets an enchanted eye ball from her. She will know when she has found her true love when she looks him in the eyes and the eyeball stills it's searching, but, despite looking at the men in town all day, the eyeball keeps searching.

Growing desperate, she gets another's day reprieve by telling Lord Death another story, but, if the eye never stills, and she never finds her true love, what can her fate possibly be?

If that synopsis doesn't make you want to read it, nothing will, and you should. It's a REALLY good story...but what are my 2 picky issues? Well, I'll try really hard not to give anything away.
The first one is that there is a small part before and after the story, that shows that Keturah is telling the story, that makes up the rest of the book, to a group of people. But within the context of the story, that scenario is impossible. I don't know if that is supposed to put the story into a new light, and I was almost tempted to reread the book to figure it out, but it just does not make sense unless everything that happened in the story is just a made up story that Keturah is telling...but then what really did happen to her?
The second issue is that Keturah knows that someone in the story is in love with her, even if it is debatable whether she loves him, and she uses the fact that he is in love with her to get out of him everything that she wants, again and again. Although it is true that if someone is in love with you, you do hold a sort of power over them, I think it is dispicable to abuse that power, so the fact that Keturah does, dims my opinion of her a great deal.

Overall, it's a really good story. It sucks you in, and keeps you guessing through out. I also think that Keturah is written as a powerful and proactive character. It's almost as if she lives her life as if she knows what the end result is going to be, which I felt made her seem almost otherworldly powerful, but my 2 issues with the book keep me from adding it to my favorites right now. (less)

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Jun 18, 2008 Angie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: retellings, ya

This one has been getting lots of good press and was a National Book Award Finalist for 2006. Keturah and Lord Death is a sort of Scheherezade meets Beauty and the Beast meets the Persephone myth, in which a young woman is forced to spin a new tale each night to keep her captor from killing her. In this version, her captor is, in fact, Death himself (hence the Persephone connection), and he actually lets her go on the condition that she will return the following night with the end of the tale. S...more This one has been getting lots of good press and was a National Book Award Finalist for 2006. Keturah and Lord Death is a sort of Scheherezade meets Beauty and the Beast meets the Persephone myth, in which a young woman is forced to spin a new tale each night to keep her captor from killing her. In this version, her captor is, in fact, Death himself (hence the Persephone connection), and he actually lets her go on the condition that she will return the following night with the end of the tale. Should she be able to find her true love in that time, he will release her from her promise and Death will no longer stalk young Keturah.

The story is set in the rather charmingly vague village of Tide-by-Rood, located at the far edge of the country of Angleland. The setting exuded a sort of Canterbury Tales feel, while the townspeople reminded me of the denizens of a Hawthorne novel, everyone suspicious of everyone else and nobody with the guts to question the status quo or talk about the things that need talking about. In the course of trying to save herself from Lord Death and her village from the plague, Keturah steps up and speaks out in order to unite the villagers under a common cause. I liked the setting, the names, and the people. The world Martine Leavitt set up is full of dark shadows and possibilities.

It was about 100 pages when things started to pick up for me. It felt like Leavitt sort of found her stride at that point. The writing felt a little deeper, the pace a little more controlled. The thing is, the book is only 216 pages long and the halfway mark proved a little to late to really suck me in. I felt like I was reading the abridged version of a full-length work. It needed to be either 100 pages shorter or 200 pages longer. As is, it felt too abbreviated. I never could get a handle on Keturah or Lord Death. Neither one felt fully formed. They were both shadowy compositions and every time I tried to glimpse them clearly, they slipped behind a tree and out of sight. I really did want to get to know them better but never got the chance because the book was over, she'd made her choice, and I was left with just a taste of something that could have been delicious but now I'll never know.(less)

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May 21, 2008 Holly rated it 2 of 5 stars

I read this YA fantasy novel set in early Middle Ages England all in one day. Quite easily, in fact. Like a lot of literature aimed at teens, it's a feather-light read, and it goes even quicker because I guarantee that you've read this all before. The story is riddled with cliches. A Faustian bargain made by an otherwise good character. Someone has to find true love on a deadline or they'll die. Buying time from the executioner by telling a story with no ending. Been there, done that. Utterly pr...more

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Jul 23, 2008 Rachel rated it 1 of 5 stars

Recommended to Rachel by: mistful - the only time she's led me astray

Shelves: fantasy, interpersonal, brain-candy, ya, lady-author, lady-main-characters

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 25, 2008 Enna Isilee (Squeaky Books) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2008, reviewed-on-blog

A great fairy-tale like story about finding true love and the hidden side of Death. Simple, but nearly made me cry at the end. Definitely reccomend it.

Click here for a more detailed review

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Aug 02, 2011 Isamlq rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's a fairytale that reminds me of things I liked in Goose Girl, both written with simple language and told in a straightforward manner; neither of these things took from Keturah's story. Keturah is kind and will do anything to keep her people safe. Once loved simply for telling a story or for being around or for being pretty, things change when she loses her way in the forest and meets Lord Death. A bargain is struck and she allowed back, only once home, instead of the easy affection she'd com...more

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Dec 23, 2011 BlueSky&Sunshine rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read "Keturah and Lord Death" in about 2-3 days. It is a very easy read and I would have probably finished a lot faster if it wasn't for my homework and chores. To start off my review I will say that God is the only omnipotent being out there. God can or is everywhere at once. Therefore there are many angels of death because they can't be everywhere at once.

This story follows Keturah, her family (grandmother), two best friends, and her village people. Keturah is very modest, humble, and good w...more

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Jun 30, 2011 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Readers who enjoyed the works of Elizabeth C. Bunce, Clare B. Dunkle, and/or Laini Taylor

Shelves: 2011-reads, wish-i-could-write-a-book-like-this, writing-to-which-i-aspire, exceeded-my-expectations, forewent-sleep-to-read-it, fab-writing, best-characters, best-endings, ultimate-favorites, worth-every-star, comfort-reads, heroines-i-love-and-or-admire, soared-above-and-beyond, stories-with-a-message, stories-that-challenge-me, prose-envy, covers-i-love, wowed-me, writer-crush, reviewed

"It is life that hurts you, not death."

The above quote was probably my favorite (of many quote-worthy lines) from Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt. It seems morbid, but isn't it true? Life is full of obstacles and trials, pain and sorrows, loss and grief. For one who has lived a full life with all of those things, death must be almost a relief, a balm to soothe the aches and scars life has granted.

But death is also the great unknown. To die is almost to take an unintended leap of faith...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairy-tales, want-to-own, favorites, blog

Originally reviewed on my blog, Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing.

Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt is one of the most unique and beautiful stories I have ever read. While not a direct fairy tale retelling, falling more into the category of fairy tale-esque, the book reads like a fairy tale, and elements from different tales and lore find their way into Keturah's story.

Keturah is the storyteller in her small village. She tells tales around the common fire each night, enthralling the...more Originally reviewed on my blog, Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing.

Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt is one of the most unique and beautiful stories I have ever read. While not a direct fairy tale retelling, falling more into the category of fairy tale-esque, the book reads like a fairy tale, and elements from different tales and lore find their way into Keturah's story.

Keturah is the storyteller in her small village. She tells tales around the common fire each night, enthralling the townsfolk. There is a hart that haunts the forests around the town, a hart which the Lord of the realm, a renowned hunter himself, has long hunted, but never captured. This hart often finds its way into Keturah's tales, and it is ultimately what leads Keturah into trouble. She sees the hart watching her from the woods one evening and decides to follow it, just a little ways into the wood. As is often in the case with seemingly enchanted harts, Keturah finds herself following the hart deeper and deeper into the wood, unable to stop. When she finally regains her senses, she realizes that she is hopelessly lost in the forest.

After three days of being lost in the woods, Keturah is out of strength, and knows she is going to die. Sure enough, Death comes for her. She is surprised by him, because he appears as a handsome and aloof Lord, and he tells her it is time to go. She begs and pleads for her life, and those of us near death are wont to do, and Death takes pity on the beautiful young girl. He tells Keturah that she may live if she chooses one other from her village to die in her place. But Keturah loves all the people in her village and cannot allow them to die, not even if it means that she might live.

Instead, she asks Death if she might tell him a story. He agrees and she tells him a beautiful and magical story, about life and love, one that sounds familiar, but incomplete. When he demands the ending from Keturah, she refuses to tell it, unless he allows her to live. And so, she makes a deal with Death, returning to her village for three days on a mission to find her true love. If she can find her love in three days, Death will allow her to live. And if not, she must go with him to die.

This is one of my very favorite stories. I love the air of magic within the story, even though there is no magic beyond the meetings with Lord Death. I first read this book a few years ago, and fell completely in love with the characters. Keturah is reckless, fierce, and loyal. Her two best friends are filled with goodness and love. John, the Lord's son is another fascinating character, and you watch him as he desires to fit in among the people and learn to rule them well now that he might be a wise and just ruler when his father rules no more. Even Lord Death is a fascinating character. He is the most powerful force and he knows it. Nothing can stop death, everything must eventually fall to him and yet Keturah tries to defy him. She begs and pleads and offers her stories in exchange for mercy, for life and for time.

I knew that I wanted Keturah and her story to be a part of fairy tale fortnight, because it is simply beautiful and everyone should have a chance to read it. So I decided to reread it before the event, to make sure I did the story justice in my review, and the first thought that came to mine was to Sigh and think, Oh, how I've missed you. This is a story that feels like coming home. It is a tale that perfectly fills those wanting places inside when searching for those magical tales, and it is a story that will never leave you. I think about this book all the time, and I recommend it regularly.

The writing is effortless and vivid. It begins with a prologue that sets the story up with a fairy tale feel, right from the beginning, giving you everything but that actual 'once upon a time' and when the story itself starts, you are already enchanted by her words. You are in Keturah's world, you are living in that village, watching, waiting with bated breath to discover what the future holds for Keturah. Everything feels so very real and you can feel Keturah's pain and panic as her agreement with deal draws to an end and she knows she must soon complete her task or go to her death. She is fighting death for everything she loves or may come to love and it's not always an easy struggle to watch.

This is a story of love, of hope and of almost magic, the kind of magic that we can almost find if we search for it long enough. It is a story of understanding, of personal redemption and finding happiness with what you have. The risks Keturah takes for those she loves are huge and you love her all the more for what she is willing to risk to protect others.(less)

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Mar 13, 2008 Meagan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

This book perfectly captures the entrancing nature of a perfectly told tale. My recommendation is to set aside a block of a few hours to read it, because if you start and are unable to finish right away (like me) you'll be so so sad to put it down. The main character, Keturah, has a talent for telling stories and so when she sees the beautiful hart at the edge of the forest, she follows it so she'll have a new story to tell. The hart leads her deep into the forest, where she becomes lost and wan...more

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Mar 02, 2008 Mary-Beth rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, fairy-tales

When I picked this up I expected it to be fluff and I wasn't mistaken. If you're looking for some fluff then don't be scared away by my review. This book was decent for what it was, an odd combination of some fairy tale archetypes. It was a bit of a mixture of the storyteller from The 1001 Nights and those fairy tales where Death is present as a character.

The biggest problem I had with the story was its realism. But the way the thing was written, it was clear you weren't supposed to expect any r...more

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Feb 17, 2008 Suzy rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fantasy lightweights

My finger hovered over five stars so long, cramp seemed distinctly possible. But. Must not let weakness for men in black capes with nasty laughs (exclude Jack the Ripper) cloud my rating ethics.

Maybe I've spent too much time with dense works like the Dark Jewels trilogy to appreciate this kind of vapid...fluff. Where the former paints the scene with heavy bloody strokes, this book flirts around the edges like a skittish filly.

As attractive as he is in all that dark gear (noble steed and all),...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Hayley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Hayley by: Shelece

Shelves: fairy-tale, romance, young-adult

Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt was a well-written and romantic fairytale. Keturah's "stories" are particularly well-written and moving. Whether Leavitt drew inspiration from Scheherazade of One Thousand and One Arabian Nights, I don't know, but the story reminded me a bit of that tale. Though the novel is a short one, the town of Tide-By-Rood and the characters that inhabit it are well flesh out, however only Keturah is fully developed. But the characterizations present fit the story...more

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Jul 09, 2008 JoLee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2008, childrens-young-adult

Keturah gets lost in the forest, and there she faces Lord Death. She is well-known for her story-telling, and she calls on this talent to buy herself some time. Scheherezade style, she refuses to tell Lord Death the ending of the story until the next night, and he gives her another day to live.

The language and style of this book read like an old fairytale. Like in the old fairytales, the characters are rather two-dimensional, and the reader is always held at a distance--unable to fully connect...more

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Nov 14, 2011 Kay rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fairytale lovers

Shelves: fantasy, myths-and-tales, quite-the-romantic, teens-tweens-and-ya

[Book: Keturah and Lord Death] is an intriguing story told in a simple, fairytale style. The concept is familiar enough: Keturah loses herself in the woods for three days, and on the brink of starvation, Lord Death postpones her demise in exchange for a story. The prose is like that of a child's fairytale—flowy and descriptive, but not burdened with the grittier realities of life. However, despite the simplicity of prose and plot, the story is deceptively multi-layered. The concept of death is c...more

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Oct 07, 2007 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who likes a beautiful fairytale

Short and Sweet Review, by Michelle:
Just like the stories that her character Keturah tells, Martine Leavitt tells a beautiful story of love, but most importantly, of life. Through Keturah’s experiences with Lord Death, she starts seeing the world through a different set of eyes. It’s a beautiful lesson that I think old and young alike can appreciate and learn along with Keturah. The love story and Keturah’s passion to find her true love are the driving force throughout the novel and just as in r...more

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Jun 17, 2011 Cami rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Angie, Twilight Fans,

Shelves: ya-fiction, historic-fiction, fantasy-and-supernatural

Keturah, a 15 yr old maiden in the small village in Tide-by-Rood, follows a hart into the forest. She becomes lost for three days and as she knows she is nearing death, who should appear before her, but Lord Death himself, determined to take her with him. However, Keturah wants to live, to marry for love and have a child of her own. She persuades Lord Death with her fine story telling to give her one more day to find her one true love...
This was beautifully romantic tale with a touch of the supe...more

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Feb 23, 2009 Heather Ingemar rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of fairy tales, paranormal tales, or beautiful love stories

Very good book! I had to sit down and read in one evening because I couldn't stop, hehe. A very fascinating premise and a beautifully executed story.

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Jan 06, 2009 Alice rated it 3 of 5 stars

While doing an internet genealogy search on a family name (my great grandmother, Keturah Alice Reeves), I kept running into this title. Keturah is an uncommon name, so my interest was piqued. This Keturah's story ended up being in one of my favorite genres: the retold fairy tale.

Cover art aside, this is a chaste young adult tale that courts the two questions, "What is death?" and "What is love?" Echoing the Persephone myth, plus the plot of the 1001 Arabian nights, the young maiden Keturah Reev...more

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Apr 19, 2013 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I love this book! Keturah and Lord Death is such a wonderful story. It's different, intriguing, and romantic. The author did an amazing job with her writing style, which is simple but incredibly eloquent. This book deserves nothing less than 5 stars.

(There are unhidden spoilers, so don't read if you don't want the story spoiled)

While out in the garden one day, Keturah sees a hart (ie deer) and fascinated by the creature, she follows him into the woods. However, when she loses him and looks arou...more I love this book! Keturah and Lord Death is such a wonderful story. It's different, intriguing, and romantic. The author did an amazing job with her writing style, which is simple but incredibly eloquent. This book deserves nothing less than 5 stars.

(There are unhidden spoilers, so don't read if you don't want the story spoiled)

While out in the garden one day, Keturah sees a hart (ie deer) and fascinated by the creature, she follows him into the woods. However, when she loses him and looks around, she is lost. Although she tries to find her way back to her cottage, she cannot and for 3 days she wonders the woods. On the last day, weak from her journey as well as a lack of food and water, Keturah sits down to rest and waits for Death to take her. When Lord Death arrives, Keturah, who was known for her story-telling abilities, tells Death a story. But she denies him the ending, saying that she will tell it tomorrow if he gives her one more day. Lord Death is intrigued and agrees.

Each night, Keturah is to meet Lord Death and to go with him. Lord Death is bewitched by her and he tells her he will make her his bride. But Keturah foils his plans. Instead of ending her first story, she begins another one about Lord Death himself. Keturah has courage and wit and much to his surprise, Lord Death has fallen in love with her. Their history is long and Death has walked with Keturah always. She was born into death and has come face to face with him many times. Unlike most, she has always been able to see him.

Keturah uses the knowledge that Lord Death loves her and begs Lord Death for the lives of Goody Thompson and her baby first, then her grandmother, and finally that Death would save her village from the plague. Although Death does not want to grant her these gifts for death comes for everyone eventually, Death cannot refuse her, and so her people live. When the fair and the King arrive, everything is perfect. Her people are glowing and healthy, roads have been built, everyone wears new cloths, and her friends are with the men they love. Keturah is happy for them but she comes to the dawning realization that her friends' lives are moving on and passing her by. Keturah comes to understand that the thing she's been trying to avoid is the very thing she needs. She finally comprehends that the sun could not be so bright without the night and that happiness would not be quite so sweet without knowing sorrow. So, at the end of the day, she ventures back into the wood in search of the one thing she no longer wants to avoid. She searches for Lord Death and Death finds her. When she tells him she is ready for him to take her and make her his bride, Death cannot bear it and tells her he will return her to her family and friends. But Keturah does not want to return. She's in love with him too. So Lord Death takes her up on his stead and so ends life as Keturah knows it.

This story is beautiful. It is fascinating and the author wove the story in such a way that drew me completely into her world. I have no real complaints. I do wish that the author hadn't ended where she did, because I would love to know what happened after Keturah and Lord Death rode away, but even though I hate that it didn't tell me more, the ending was beautiful in and of itself. I would definitely recommend this to all of my friends. (less)

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Apr 06, 2013 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young_adult, fantasy, historical

These days, while reading YA, I frequently end up commenting that I wish I had found a book when I was younger. The sad truth is that now, as an adult, it's not as easy for me to be swept into a book and completely transported and enchanted. It takes more work for my imagination to be engaged, and so while I still enjoy the books, they are not the transcendent experience they would have been for younger me.

But sometimes, I still find books that don't make me work for it, and that take me away d...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Erin Cataldi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, for-class

I wish I would have rediscovered young adult literature long before this class (and book club), I feel as if I need to really catch up! Every post I write on this forum I rant and rave about how awesome the book is and unfortunately, I'm going to do it again! I have been very impressed with everything I have read so far in this class, so bear with me while I get real excited about this book as well.

"Keturah and Lord Death" was a phenomenal read. I will admit that I wasn't immediately intrigued...more I wish I would have rediscovered young adult literature long before this class (and book club), I feel as if I need to really catch up! Every post I write on this forum I rant and rave about how awesome the book is and unfortunately, I'm going to do it again! I have been very impressed with everything I have read so far in this class, so bear with me while I get real excited about this book as well.

"Keturah and Lord Death" was a phenomenal read. I will admit that I wasn't immediately intrigued (it took about 2 chapters for me to get really hooked) but once I was I read this bad boy in one sitting. It is a tale of "magic and love, of daring and death, and one to comfort your heart." (Leavitt, 9). Sixteen year old Keturah, lost in the forest, meets Lord Death and instead of being taken by him she captivates him with her charm and one of her stories. She tricks him into letting her live another day and promises that she will return to him the following night to continue her tale. Lord Death keeps threatening that Keteruh will die unless she finds her true love so she spends busy days with her two best friesnds trying to find her true love in the village and trying to outwit Lord Death another night. It is a captivating tale and vaguely reminiscent of "One Thousand and One Nights" where the wife tells tales every night (always unfinished) in order to save her life. Howverer as the story continues it becomes evident that Lord Death is in love with Keturah and wishes to take her as his bride. He bends to her will and even agrees to save her village from the plague. She tries vainly to find love in a villager named Ben, but then in a shocking conclusion realizes that her one true love is Lord Death. Instead of being a sad ending, it is a happy one for all that Keturah set out to do: see her friends wed, save the townsfolk from the plague, etc. she accomplished.

Unlike many fantasy novels this one isn't too far over the top (magically speaking), the only "magical entity" is Lord Death and the tale is told in the form of a legend by villagers. According to Tunnell et al. this tale could probably fill the fantasy category of, "novelized traditional tale" because death is a character found in many legends, cultures, and traditions.

Overall, I thought that narration of this tale really draws the reader in even though it is very simplistic, everyone has had experience with death and I believe that this tale helps add a dimension to a powerful and sad thing that comes for us all in the end. The author acknnowledges her young sister who dies of cystic fibrosis at the age of eleven and writes, "I realize what a long journey dying must be like for a child to make alone. I wish I could have walked with her a little way. This book is my way of doing so."

Leavitt, Martine. Keturah and Lord Death. Asheville, N.C.: Front Street, 2006.

"One Thousand and One Nights ." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Thou...;

Tunnell, Michael O. Children's literature, briefly. 5th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2012. (less)

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May 03, 2012 Sonia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, couldn-t-put-it-down, favorites

"Readers will be carried away on the wind of Leavitt’s words, and few will be able to guess how she finally ends her story.” And yes, I am carried away indeed, yet for the later part, both yes and no.

Keturah is beautiful and a great storyteller. One day, she got lost in the forest and met Lord Death. She bargained with Lord Death by telling him a story, a love story of a girl who hadn’t find her true love, yet without the ending. She promised to give the ending only if Lord Death kept her aliv...more

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Mar 27, 2012 Grace rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: magic, romance, ya, myths-fairy-tales-retold

A cornier title for this would probably be Death Comes A-Courtin'. This book is short but quite well written, in the sense that it feels like an aged book (although only published 2006). I thought the setting was done brilliantly. In a few lines, it feels clear that you're in the middle ages; there's the local tailor, the fair, the fear of the plague, the talk of what counts as sin and what doesn't. That part was simply excellent.

I read some of the other reviews, and I think basically you have...more

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Jul 16, 2011 Margaret rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, level-ya

7/15/11 ** Absolutely phenomenal book. I was out with no book, so stole one from my husband's bag, though I'd never heard of it. Keturah lives in the poorest village in the kingdom and is known for her storytelling skills. When she wanders into the forest and gets lost, she meets Lord Death and, using her storytelling magic, convinces him to spare her life for one day. If she can find her one true love, he'll spare her life entirely.

Keturah is selfless; she seems to create her own happiness by h...more

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Jul 15, 2011 Miakoda rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: no one

Shelves: bad-suspense, fantasy, romance-fantasy, forgettable, library, middle-grade, romance, soulmate, young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 26, 2011 Tara rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is a reason why I can't read fiction books too often. I start reading and then I can't put them down and everything is neglected, including children. :)The story is a mix of fantasy and realism. It is set during the middle ages with commoners, lords, and kings. By far, my favorite part was the ending, even though it left me with confused emotions. The personification of Death was hard to wrap my mind around at first, and yet the author does an excellent job blending this fantastical el...more

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Jun 17, 2011 Natalie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is beautiful and strange and sad. It reads like a fairytale with a young girl lost in the woods, meeting a handsome, dangerous stranger. She convinces him to let her go for a day so she can find her true love, but what if her true love is nowhere to be found?

Keturah is sweet and somewhat naive and occasionally downright foolish. She struggles for true love, not understanding that it is not something that can be won but has to be given. Through the story, she grows in wisdom and eventua...more This book is beautiful and strange and sad. It reads like a fairytale with a young girl lost in the woods, meeting a handsome, dangerous stranger. She convinces him to let her go for a day so she can find her true love, but what if her true love is nowhere to be found?

Keturah is sweet and somewhat naive and occasionally downright foolish. She struggles for true love, not understanding that it is not something that can be won but has to be given. Through the story, she grows in wisdom and eventually learns things she thought she already knew and realizing things about the people around her that she never noticed before. Even as Keturah both prepares for and fights her death, she endeavors to protect those close to her. While looking for her own true love, she finds other's and helps them find each other. I love her selflessness.

As for the menfolk in the story, Lord Death is entirely attractive in a mildly creepy sort of way and the lord's son John is kind, caring and likable. While Lord Death offers, well, death, John offers a life as lady of the manor. Ben, the village boy who thinks he must marry the Best Cook, is simply not too bright, but friendly enough. Since Keturah is the bravest, loveliest, best cook around, all of them vying for her affections.

This story was beautifully written, dramatic and lyrical. I could see the dark forests and medieval villages as well as the multitude of diverse secondary characters who lived there. Though not a funny book, there were instances of dry wit and humor that made me smile.

There were some parts of the story that were a little weird to me. Would choosing to go with Lord Death be a form of suicide even if you didn't technically kill yourself? That is only one of the strange philosophical questions that came to mind while reading this book.

Keturah and Lord Death was an interesting read and I really enjoyed it, but I don't think it would be for everyone. It is frankly rather strange.

http://liedermadchen.blogspot.com/201...(less)

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About Martine Leavitt

Martine Leavitt's young adult novels have won many awards and honors in the United States and Canada. Most notable are two Canadian honors: Tom Finder won a Mr. Christie's Book Award, and Heck Superhero was a finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award.

Martine earned an MFA in writing for children from Vermont College. Though Martine was born in Canada and lives in High River, Alberta, Can...more

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Quotes from Keturah and Lord Death

“Tell me what it is like to die," I answered.
He dismounted from his horse, looking at me strangely the whole while. "You experience something similar every day," he said softly. "It is as familiar to you as bread and butter."
"Yes," I said. "It is like every night when I fall asleep."
"No. It is like every morning when you wake up.” — 77 people liked it

“If untimely death came only those who deserved that fate, Keturah, where would choice be? No one would do good for its own sake, but only to avoid an early demise. No one would speak out against evil because of his own courageous soul, but only to live another day. The right to choose is man's great gift, but one thing is not his to choose--the time and means of death.” — 36 people liked it

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