[Subdue]Rules for a Knight, by Ethan Hawke, 2.5 stars

[NancyJ]

This is a book written from the point of view of a knight on the eve before a challenging battle. He has traveled away from his children for some time, and wants to leave them with some last advice. The letter was ostensibly written (and recreated) by one of Hawke's ancestors in 1483. It contains advice mixed in with stories about knights. I liked some of the chapters, with charming stories about knights, learning, and love. Others didn't work as well. I actively disliked the message of last chapter which is written as a ballad (about a 44 point buck), though I think some children will like it. There are some contradictory and anachronistic ideas from a lot of different sources. (The acknowledgments list is very diverse.) One of the sources is the Desiderata which I had on my wall in college. I remember one of the stories from a team training game I used many years ago in a college class. I always liked Ethan Hawke (I still do), and this book strengthens my perception of him as an earnest and endearing college student discussing philosophy late at night.