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Shadow Spinner

3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 · rating details · 3,190 ratings · 256 reviews

Marjan, a crippled serving girl, has told Shahrazad -- the Arabian Nights heroine who, after nearly a thousand nights, is running out of stories -- a new tale, which turns out to be incomplete. In an adventure equal to any a storyteller might relate, Marjan faces the intrigues of the harem, the dangers of the streets, and the anger of the Sultan himself to find the needed...more

Hardcover, 219 pages

Published May 1st 1998 by Atheneum Books

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Oct 09, 2011 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fairy-tales, signed, own, blog

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

Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher is set in Ancient Persia and it is a retelling of 1001 Arabian Nights. The original tale is the story of Shaharazad, the young woman who tells stories each night to the Sultan, ending before the climax is complete in order to remain alive one more day. Over and over she does this, for 1001 nights. The original tale is where we get such beloved stories as Aladdin, Sinbad, and Ali Baba and the Fo...more Originally reviewed on my blog, Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing.

Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher is set in Ancient Persia and it is a retelling of 1001 Arabian Nights. The original tale is the story of Shaharazad, the young woman who tells stories each night to the Sultan, ending before the climax is complete in order to remain alive one more day. Over and over she does this, for 1001 nights. The original tale is where we get such beloved stories as Aladdin, Sinbad, and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. I have not yet read the original tale, partly because there are so many translations available and I am unsure which is best, but as far as I know, there are a lot of questions that the original tale doesn't answer.

What happened after 1001 nights that the Sultan decided Shaharazad could live without telling more stories? Why was 1001 somehow the magical number? Where did Shaharazad get enough stories to fill 1001 nights? What would have happened if she started to run out?

Shadow Spinner answers these questions and more. I was surprised and intrigued but this book when I learned about it, because Shaharazad is not the main character as one would expect from a retelling of 1001 Arabian Nights. Instead, our story is narrated by Marjan, a crippled young serving girl who gets drawn into the lives of those in the palace. She goes with her mistress to sell baubles in the Sultan's harem and stops to tell a group of young children a story. Her voice and her ability to tell a story are one of her most valued and prized 'possessions' and her hero is Shaharazad. No one believed that an ability to tell stories could change your life until she stepped up and offered to marry the Sultan. Shaharazad's sister overhears Marjan telling her story to the young children and she takes Marjan to meet Shaharazad, because she is beginning to run out of stories and she doesn't know what to do next.

And so, Marjan comes to live in the Sultan's palace as a serving maid to Shaharazad. But there is much more to live in the palace than plush fixings and plenty of food. Even after almost 3 years of storytelling, every morning there is an air of tension when Shaharazad leaves the Sultan's rooms. The Sultan's mother also hates Shaharazad and wants to see her fail, which means a hatred for anyone close to her, or trying to help her.

I love this book. I mean, really, honestly and truly, I love this book. Marjan wants to be a great storyteller. Every where she goes, she collects stories and collects information that could be used to create and weave her own tales. Each chapter begins with section titled "Lessons for Life and Storytelling" and the lesson within would often foreshadow the events to come withing the chapter.

Watching Marjan grow and develop as a person and as a storyteller felt like a gift. In the beginning, Marjan is holding onto some deeply rooted anger and bitterness, although it takes a while for the reader to realize this. I think it takes Marjan herself a while to realize the extent of the anger she is harboring. She also learns about a solid core of goodness within herself. She is fiercely loyal, willing to do whatever she can to protect and shield those she cares about.

Shadow Spinner is a completely unique tale that takes us into a world of palace intrigue, danger, love and hope. It is everything a fairy tale should be. There is no magic in their world but there is magic in their story. And their story teaches us that there is magic within ourselves.(less)

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Aug 11, 2011 Karin rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: scheherazade-retelling, young-adult-fiction, borrowed-from-the-library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Marjan accompanies her aunt to the Sultan’s palace where she meets the famed Shahrazad, the woman whose stories have prevented the Sultan from slaying countless women in his efforts to find a faithful wife. While she’s there, she tells stories to the children who gather around, as their mothers – the women in the harem – haggle with her aunt. One of the women, Shahrazad’s sister, overhears her story, and brings her to meet Shahrazad in person. There, Marjan learns that Shahrazad is very much sti...more Marjan accompanies her aunt to the Sultan’s palace where she meets the famed Shahrazad, the woman whose stories have prevented the Sultan from slaying countless women in his efforts to find a faithful wife. While she’s there, she tells stories to the children who gather around, as their mothers – the women in the harem – haggle with her aunt. One of the women, Shahrazad’s sister, overhears her story, and brings her to meet Shahrazad in person. There, Marjan learns that Shahrazad is very much still imperiled. She continues to spin tales for the Sultan, but she’s running low on new material. Marjan’s story is one that she’s never heard before, and she’s delighted with it.

The following day, Marjan is summoned to the palace. She learns that Shahrazad has requested her specifically – to assist her in finding new stories for the Sultan. Specifically, Shahrazad needs to learn the ending to the story that Marjan told her the previous day. But, Marjan doesn’t know it. She only knows that she heard the beginning from an old blind man in the bazaar. Since she is now part of the harem, Marjan cannot come and go as she pleases, so the women sneak her out in a large chest.

Marjan is able to locate the storyteller, and she learns more of the story, but not its entirety. She brings this information back to Shahrazad and again they plan how she might escape the harem to learn the rest. The Sultan’s mother is suspicious and she has Marjan followed and questioned, but learns nothing. Both Marjan and Shahrazad’s sister meet the storyteller on the next occasion, but upon their return to the palace, Marjan is captured by the Sultan’s mother, imprisoned, and beaten.

The two sisters manage to arrange Marjan’s escape, but Marjan eventually returns to the palace to confront the Sultan and let him know what is really going on – not another betrayal (as his mother believes), but really a woman’s desire to love and care for him has perpetrated this entire series of events. Marriages are arranged and much happiness ensues.

This could be a much longer story if it were given more time to develop. As it is, it reads quickly, but the result is more like story bones – missing the meat that one wants to savor.(less)

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May 13, 2011 Nanci rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shahrazad is the princess who tells the sultan the thousand tales of the Arabian nights. She stops the tale at just the right place so that the king doesn't kill her in the morning because he wants the rest of the stories. She is at 939 nights and has born the king 3 sons and still she fears for her life each night. She is running out of stories to tell and doesn't know what to do when she meets Marjan. Marjan is a teller of stories as well and has held Shahrazad as her hero all her life. She wo...more

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Mar 19, 2010 Bethany rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

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Sep 29, 2009 Lexie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-blog, books-owned

The story of Shahrazad has always puzzled me. This King kills his wives day after day and his people just let it happen? They didn't revolt? Monarchies have been tumbled for much less! Yet this slip of a girl manages to stand up to this King and save her people.

She has never gotten her proper due in my opinion.

Fletcher's book however is a decent step in that direction. Though about Marjan, we see what it must be like for Shahrazad. Night after night for years, constantly frightened and stressed...more

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Sep 19, 2011 Janette added it · review of another edition

I must admit I was skeptical when I picked up this book. How interesting could a story be about someone who tells stories? I tell stories, and trust me, a book about my life would be very boring. (And then Janette sat huddled in front of her laptop for the next five hours . . . See what I mean?)

I'm glad to report that I was really wrong in this assumption. It was an awesome book and I liked it all that much more because the characters talked about stories and their importance. They teach things....more

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Apr 12, 2009 Vickie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I stayed up last night to finish this book (and to play Easter Bunny for Lady K). I read this one rather quickly even for a bedside book which always go fast due to more reading time available. Marjan is a crippled orphan who comes to the notice of Shahrazad, the teller of stories to the Sultan to maintain living another day and to save the lives of other women in the Sultan's realm. Shahrazad is running low on stories and lives in fear, until the day Marjan comes to the harem with her aunt to s...more

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Feb 10, 2011 Ori rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fairy-tale, historical-fiction

I always did wonder how Shahrazad kept up night after night for over three years without accidentally spinning a story she had already told. I can barely remember what I did yesterday, much less whether I've told people a story already or not.

One thing I can't quite decide about is the issue of Marjan's crippling and how it was used in the book. Was it used just to give Marjan her own chance for personal growth? Or was it used well, portraying a character who doesn't let her physical defects def...more

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May 17, 2010 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There are some true and important messages in this book. This book would make a great read-a-loud, it is exciting and full of adventure, and teaches a few good lessons. I enjoyed that the heroine did not have physical or spiritual perfection but was on a journey.

I really enjoyed the little bits of wisdom at the beginning of each chapter. One quote I particularly liked was, "People will take what they need from the stories they hear." Another quote says, "Sometimes I wonder if the stories you te...more

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Feb 04, 2011 Akoss rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: must-buy, colorinyamg

I grew up reading the story about Shahrazad many times and in various "versions", but this take brought a breath of fresh air to it.
Susan Fletcher is a great story spinner who gave more than life to the characters. The ones from the original story such as Shahrazad and the Sultan, were more than 2 dimensional, they felt real, and so were the additional characters she brought in to weave in the "behind the scenes" parts. You will get to know and care for those secondary characters, even though yo...more

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Oct 03, 2009 Julia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really loved this book because it has a lot of adventure in it. The sultan of the land found out that one of his wives had betrayed him, so he started killing off all of his wives. He would marry a woman one night and then kill her the next. Mothers started maiming their daughters so that they wouldn't be married by the Sultan. Then, this one woman marries the Sultan, but before he kills her, she asks if she can tell her sister one last story. The sultan agrees, but the woman stops the story i...more

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Feb 01, 2010 Jason Kurtz rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, middle-grade

I thought the premise of the novel was excellent, and I was not familiar with the story of Shahrazad. I thought the plot was very linear and traditional, and I am sure my own girls will read it on their own when they get a bit older. I bought a copy for myself after reading the library copy, just so the girls would have it handy.

Stylistically, I thought the "Lessons on Storytelling" were a bit gimmicky and I wanted to skip them every time. I felt the break in the narrative, especially crucial mo...more

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Oct 25, 2008 Libby rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Although the book is based on Persian culture, I found many familir elements from Moroccan culture. While the plot didn't always flow smoothly, the imagery of the harem and the bazaar captured another world. A good high interest, low reading level book for young teens.

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May 08, 2013 Christine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: page-turner, young-adult, unexpectedly-good

Why did this book receive four stars? Because I really enjoyed it. Plain and simple. It was a good read. It was also a quick read, as it was a page-turner and kept me hungry for more.

But what's more, it had some unexpected surprises. You know those books where you learn some truths about life that stick with you long after you put the book down? This was one of those books. I especially liked the scene that talked about demons, and how nurturing them will eventually destroy us.

And you know tho...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Debbie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, ya

"Shadow Spinner" is a young adult fantasy. It fills in the story of Shahrazad and her 1001 nights of story-telling from the viewpoint of one of her servants.

The Persian-like setting adds an interesting backdrop and realism to the story. The heroine was clever, engaging, and acted realistically to the events dictated by the "known" details of the story about Shahrazad. The suspense remained high throughout the story because not only was Shahrazad's life on the line each night, but Marjan had to...more

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Dec 15, 2008 Marina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My kids bought this book for me as a birthday present. I really liked it. It is about a sultan who has been betrayed and now in his anger marries and kills a wife every day. To save all the young women in the village Shaharazad offers to marry him and provides a story for him every night that she promises to end the following night. Hence that keeps her alive and the other girls from getting killed. Marjan, a cripple becomes a help for the queen to find new stories when she starts to run out of...more

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Jan 30, 2011 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book expands and adds characters to the Persian tale of 1001 nights. It is about a sultan killing a new wife every night until one woman, Sharahzad tells him a story that is so interesting but unfinished that he lets her live in order to hear the story the next evening. I picked it up as a read aloud for my kids as we study Persian history, but I find it a little too scary for my kids (as pretty much all Persian stories are filled with thieves, intrigue and cut throats) and I just read it m...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shadow Spinner is a fun 'middle grader' book set in Ancient Persia as a new twist on the story of 1001 Arabian Nights. In the original story of 1001 Arabian Nights, Shaharazad is the Sultan's wife who is keeping herself alive by telling the Sultan a story every night and ending each night without finishing the story so that the Sultan's curiosity will be aroused and he will keep her alive another day to finish the story.

In this retelling, we visit the world of Sultans, harems, palaces and slaves...more Shadow Spinner is a fun 'middle grader' book set in Ancient Persia as a new twist on the story of 1001 Arabian Nights. In the original story of 1001 Arabian Nights, Shaharazad is the Sultan's wife who is keeping herself alive by telling the Sultan a story every night and ending each night without finishing the story so that the Sultan's curiosity will be aroused and he will keep her alive another day to finish the story.

In this retelling, we visit the world of Sultans, harems, palaces and slaves as seen through the eyes of Marjan, a crippled young girl (pre/early teens?). Marjan is visiting the palace one day to sell wares and while there she starts to tell a story to some of the children. Sharazad has been running out of new stories to tell the Sultan so upon hearing Marjan's storytelling, she pulls Marjan into the harem to help come up with stories.

The plot takes a few twists and turns as the Sultan recognizes Marjan's story and wants to hear the rest of it but Marjan doesn't know the second part of the story. There's a lot of fun intrigue and revelation as Marjan works with Shaharazad to find the ending to the story and to unravel a few mysteries along the way.

The format and tone of this book were a lot of fun. Each chapter begins with a short blurb labeled "Lessons for Life and Storytelling." Many of these introductory segments are profoundly thought provoking. They act as a kind of philosophical meditation on life and the impact and importance that stories can have on life.

For a fairly short and simple book, I was pleasantly surprised at the fun developments of interesting characters and intriguing plot. There were some points that were predictable but others that were uniquely unexpected. I haven't read the original 1001 Arabian Nights so I can't speak directly as to how it compares. It does evoke at least a sense of Ancient Persia and I had fun getting into the layers of myth and storytelling that Shaharazad (and others) used to present their messages.

****
4 out of 5(less)

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Sep 18, 2012 Kimber rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Marjan, a young crippled girl, likes to tell stories. Shahrazad learns of her and asks her to come live at the harem to help come up with new stories to tell the Sultan each night. Marjan tells a story, Shahrazad tells the sultan, he recognizes it from when he was a child and wants to hear the rest of it, but Marjan doesn't know the rest of it. So begins the dangerous and secretive quest to find the rest of the story before they all get killed.

I really enjoyed the author's style of writing. I li...more

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Sep 26, 2012 TheRose rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A surprisingly good book, aimed at older children. However, a parent should pre-read and be prepared to discuss topics such as polygamy, murder/massacre and other adult themes. They're presented in the book as mere facts to move the plot along, and are not explored in detail.

Toward the end I found I couldn't put it down! I started reading this because my daughter wanted to read it and found myself engrossed. An entertaining re-telling of 1001 Arabian Nights, with fresh characters and plot twist...more

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May 09, 2012 Ashton rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This one is a really short read - just over 200 pages I think - and went really quickly. I liked the main character Marjan. I liked the element of mystery added to her life, and also the pace of the revelation and resolution. The plot was straightforward and as a re-telling I enjoyed this. I would recommend this book to someone with a quick, fun, and interesting book in mind. It also took time to address some more serious issues but without overpowering the reader with the morals. Very in line w...more

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Mar 16, 2009 Lauren rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

i found this to be a well-written book, although some of the themes and ideas in the book might not be suitable for the young adult audience to which the book was written.
i've heard vaguely of the tales of Shahrazad but had never read much on it. i appreciated this author's spin on the ancient tale. although i must admit that there were quite a few similarities in the basic story to the biblical account of Esther. and the author didn't mention this when detailing the origins on the story, which...more

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May 25, 2009 Merinda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An excellent adolescent lit book based on history that takes place in Persia in that fascinating world of the Sultan's harem. The protagonist, Marjan, is a child who was maimed by her own mother to save her from almost certain death. Because of her powers as a storyteller, she is taken into the harem as part of a plot to save the women everywhere from the wrath of the Sultan. She conquers her fears, ends up saving the day through her stories, and in the process learns to forgive her her dead mot...more

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Jun 19, 2012 GarnerGoingsOn Library rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: eastern-hemisphere

The classic tale of feminine cleverness - the story of Scheherazade and a thousand and one nights - is retold from an insider perspective and begins with Shahrazad struggling to think of a new story after almost a thousand nights of telling tales, and tired from childbirth to her third son. Marjan, in a chance encounter with Shahrazad's sister finds herself embroiled in intrigue and adventure as she strives to help Shahrazad with new material. We found ourselves lost in the maze of the harem, st...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Here is yet another book I judged before I even read it. I almost grudgingly put it on hold, and felt the same when I picked it up. From the first page I was very interested. Susan Fletcher is a beautiful storyteller, one would have to be to write a book about storytellers. I truely enjoyed this book.
Set in the middle east, a community lived under the rule of a Sultan. This sultan was betrayed by his wife, and in his anger he swore that he would never let anyone hurt him again. So he took a new...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Mely rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, young-adult, favorites, characters-poc, writer-white

From http://coffeeandink.dreamwidth.org/74...:

I just read two YA novels retelling the story of the Arabian Nights. The biggest problem with a modern version of this story, at least for a YA audience, turns out to be rehabilitation of Shahrayar, the Sultan who is betrayed by his wife, kills her, and decides to marry a virgin a day, killing each new wife at sunrise so she can't betray him. (She can't bear him any heirs either, but neither of the books goes into that.) Anyway, it's hard to provide...more From http://coffeeandink.dreamwidth.org/74...:

I just read two YA novels retelling the story of the Arabian Nights. The biggest problem with a modern version of this story, at least for a YA audience, turns out to be rehabilitation of Shahrayar, the Sultan who is betrayed by his wife, kills her, and decides to marry a virgin a day, killing each new wife at sunrise so she can't betray him. (She can't bear him any heirs either, but neither of the books goes into that.) Anyway, it's hard to provide a convincing happy ending for modern audiences when the husband is a reformed murderer who started off the marriage by planning to kill his wife. The two books try different solutions to the problem. They ultimately have little in common besides their inspiration, although as you'd expect, both take from the original legend an emphasis on the influence of stories; both Shahrazads explicitly set out to educate their husbands through fiction.

Susan Fletcher, Shadow Spinner (1998)

Fletcher sets her version in medieval Persia. Her protagonist isn't Shahrazad but a Moslem girl named Marjan, who begins the novel as the indentured servant cum adoptive daughter of a couple of Jewish traders. Marjan visits the Sultan's harem to help her "Auntie Chava" sell fabrics, and after Dunyazad, Shahrazad's sister, overhears her telling stories to the harem children, she takes Marjan to see Shahrazad, who after three years is running out of new tales.

Fletcher is very good at creating different places and societies by the graceful inclusion of detail, both sensual and social. The bazaar and the harem might as well be foreign countries: Marjan is shocked to find out how little Shahrazad and Dunyazad know about the world outside. And Marjan is an inspired character: focusing on her adds suspense to the story because we don't have any guarantee that she'll survive, and it also allows Fletcher to show the impact the Sultan's murderousness has on his entire kingdom. Marjan tells us right off that she has a deformed foot that she expects will preclude her ever marrying; what she doesn't tell us just then is that her mother deliberately inflicted the injury on her, so she would never be chosen as one of the Sultan's brides. The Sultan's murders create civil unrest outside; inside, Marjan investigates empty rooms and finds the abandoned belongings of the dead girls.

Marjan thinks of Shahrazad as a hero who sacrificed herself to save other girls, which is of course true; but she's also surprised to learn that Shahrazad loves the Sultan. Shahrazad and the less-forgiving Dunyazad argue fiercely over this, and Fletcher doesn't offer a simple or consolatory ending.

I've made the story sound darker than it is. Its most pervasive note is Marjan's cheerful determination to help out her hero.

See The Storyteller's Daughter: A Retelling of "The Arabian Nights" for the other half of the review.(less)

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Apr 25, 2010 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mg-and-ya-modern-folk-tales-fairy-t

Awards and Recognitions: ALA Notable Books for Children – 1999

Using Richard F. Burton’s translation of "The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night" as inspiration, this is the story of Shaharazad as she nears the end of her 1001 nights. Marjan, on a trip with her Auntie Chava to sell jewelry to the Sultan’s harem, is taken to meet her hero, Shaharazad, when Shahrazad’s younger sister overhears her telling a story to some children. Desperate for new stories, Shahrazad brings Marjan to live in th...more

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Apr 25, 2009 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a great book and a neat "spin" on the Arabian Nights theme. Since a noble-women is never allowed to leave the palace harem, it's an interresting thought that Shahrazad would need to hire a servent girl to help her aquire the storys she needs to keep the king interrested, and herself alive. Another added element is the king's mother who tries to foil her new daughter-in-law's plot, and Shahrazad's sister who also helps aquire storys, but has no clue about what goes on in the outside world...more

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Apr 15, 2008 LFPL Teen Services rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: historical fiction fans

Shelves: girl-power, mystery, historical_fiction

A unique retelling of the Arabian Nights story. Marjan is a young woman and a crippled orphan living with her aunt and uncle. She adores stories the way children love candy. She has the highest respect for Shahrazad, who is married to the Sultan and has stopped his spree of marrying and killing a wife each day by keeping him mesmerized with her storytelling.

One day, Marjan visits the palace so her aunt can sell some of their jewelry to the women living in the harem. While her aunt is dealing wi...more

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Apr 15, 2008 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teenfiction

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About Susan Fletcher

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Susan Fletcher is the author of a popular trilogy that includes the books Dragon's Milk, Flight of the Dragon Kyn, and Sign of the Dove, as well as of several other novels for young readers.

With a medieval setting inspired by pictures of the Welsh countryside from where Flet...more Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Susan Fletcher is the author of a popular trilogy that includes the books Dragon's Milk, Flight of the Dragon Kyn, and Sign of the Dove, as well as of several other novels for young readers.

With a medieval setting inspired by pictures of the Welsh countryside from where Fletcher traces her roots, the dragon trilogy features Fletcher's imaginative, dragon-centered plots, which have won praise from reviewers and readers alike. Calling 1993's Flight of the Dragon Kyn "a joy to read," Booklist contributor Deborah Abbott added: "Fletcher pens some of the best yarns around."

Born in Pasadena, California, in 1951, Fletcher and her family moved to Ohio when she was seven years old. She had dreamed of being a writer ever since she entered the third grade. "Back then my name was Susan Clemens," she once explained. "One day my teacher told us about a famous author named Mark Twain, whose real name was Samuel Clemens, whose daughter's name was Susan. It was fate, I thought. I decided not to become the daughter of a famous author (which is impossible to arrange), but to become a famous author myself (which is difficult enough)."

Returning to California in sixth grade, Fletcher graduated from high school in 1969, having spent her senior year as fiction editor of her school's literary magazine. She enrolled at the University of California at Santa Barbara and earned her bachelor's degree in English. She then moved to Michigan, where she earned her master's degree in English from the University of Michigan. Moving again to Colorado, Fletcher got a job with a local advertising agency and met her soon-to-be husband, Jerry; they were married in June of 1977. Moving again, this time to Minneapolis, Minnesota, she put her writing talent to work creating copy for radio advertisements, which she enjoyed and was good at. When her husband relocated to Portland, Oregon, Fletcher planned to look for a similar position, but those plans changed when she discovered that she and her husband would soon be having a child. Magazine writing became her new focus--it was something Fletcher could do from home--and from there it was a short step to becoming a children's book writer.

Fletcher's first novel for young readers, 1988's The Haunting Possibility, was inspired by Oregon's Lake Oswego area and the practice of draining the lake each winter to allow dock repairs to be made. Learning the nuances of characterization and plotting as she went, Fletcher completed the manuscript and sent it to almost twenty publishers before it was accepted. She quickly involved herself in a local group of children's writers, meeting several editors and gaining constructive criticism of her work in the process.(less)

More about Susan Fletcher...

Books by Susan Fletcher

Flight of the Dragon Kyn (Dragon Chronicles, #2)

Sign of the Dove (Dragon Chronicles, #3)

Ancient, Strange, and Lovely (Dragon Chronicles, #4)

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7490429-shadow-spinner?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1361975575l/7490429.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7490429-shadow-spinner?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher[/url]

Shadow Spinner

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