Breath by Donna Jo Napoli

You may know from the prevalence on my blog of things that relate to fairy tales and classic folklore that I love that kind of thing. I particularly like a well realised adaptation, such as the ones Donna Jo Napoli is renown for. The Pied Piper of Hamelin is one such story that it is fascinating to see what people do with it. For example, The movie 'The Sweet Hereafter' is amazing. Then, I was jealous I didn't think of it first when the lost children of Hamelin turned up in Garth Nix's Keys To The Kingdom Series. It truly is a fascinating story and there's a lot that can be done with it.

But best of all, I think, is Donna Jo Napoli's Breath. This is a thorough retelling from the perspective of the boy on crutches that gets left behind. Like all good historical fiction, if feels very well researched. Being fiction, there's always scope to play around with fact but at no point did I question what I was being told. It fit perfectly into this story and the whole thing works as a possible explanation to the history behind the traditional tale.

Clearly, rats were pests of the worst kind, carrying disease etc themselves and in the fleas that rode them cross-country. It is perfectly understandable that a town would want to rid themselves of an infestation. But they should have know to pay their dues.

Salz, the main character, is a boy who is suffering from what we now know is cystic fibrosis. He is a boy who thinks about things through with logic and reason. He very nearly works out the connection to various illnesses and events to a fungus called Ergot which has grown on the plants and crops after a particularly wet year. This fungus, when ingested through bread, or beer not only makes people sick, but can also contains lysergic acid diethylamide, LSD as well as has similar effects as Viagra.

Perhaps I'm not explaining this in the right order, or correctly, but I'm trying to entice you into reading this book to find out how all of this plays into the story we all know.

*This next paragraph may contain SPOILERS*

Just so it's not too much of an obscure blog post, I'll let you know that while rejoicing the absence of the rats, the whole town goes on a bit of a acid trip, due to the Ergot, and don't react while their children are enticed away by the begrudged piper. Salz, our poor hero, is unable to keep up with the rest of them and, just outside of town, becomes the only witness to the disappearance of all the children. The only problem is, he is on a bit of an acid trip himself and the only what he can describe it later is to say that the mountain opened up and swallowed them all.

Now I feel like I've given too much away and have ruined the wonderful surprise of Donna's work. She does it so brilliantly all the time, so many of her adaptations have a delightful twist that makes you think 'ahhh, so that's how she's fit it into the original storyline!'

But this one, I think, is my second favourite of her books that I've read so far, and even with my spoilers I still think you should read it.

 

4.5 Gold Stars

Find it on Goodreads