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I, Coriander
 
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I, Coriander (Paperback)

by Sally Gardner (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
RRP: £8.99
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I, Coriander + The Red Necklace + The Silver Blade: Bk. 2
Price For All Three: £18.42

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Product details

  • Paperback: 144 pages
  • Publisher: Orion Childrens (4 Aug 2005)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1842552902
  • ISBN-13: 978-1842552902
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 13.8 x 3.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 122,859 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Product Description

Juliet Towsend, THE SPECTATOR
'original and enigmatic'

Review
'...I absolutely loved it. Sally has a fresh and very individual voice and a great story to tell. Coriander will remain in my head for ever; she's very real and her strength to go on whatever life throws at her makes her a classic heroine. There's a strong sense of time too - and a piece of our history that is not too often written about' (Wendy Cooling )

'Part fairy tale, part historical novel, I, Coriander is a spellbinding novel with an enchanting heroine - I loved it' (George Hanratty PUBLISHING NEWS )

'...stunning tale. ...The author evokes an aura of mystery and enchantment from the very first chapter. ...Seamlessly meshing fact and fantasy, the author composes a suspenseful masterpiece that will have audience members gladly suspending their disbelief' (Sharyn November PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (US) )

'...combines fairy-tale elements with reality. ...Coriander is given an ending to please the most romantically-inclined reader. This is a beautifully produced book, with a traditional charm' (Linda Newbery TIMES EDUCATIONAL SUPPLEMENT )

'..Sally Gardner is one of our most successful authors ... an extraordinarily beautiful and gripping tale, but what astonishes is Gardner's prose ....This is a classic new novel by an author who has written a rich fairytale for our times' (Amanda Craig TIMES )

'..Recommended reading' (FUNDAY TIMES )

'...a tale of accelerated growing up, a drama of suffering and fear, loyalty and first love, all played out against a background of rich period detail. It is also the story of the growing pains of a nation - Britain - that went through its own fundamentalist phase' (Nicolette Jones SUNDAY TIMES )

'...spellbinding story... The author weaves an enchanted path between a magical, dangerous fairyland and the even more sinister real world... Readers will find themselves desparately caring about Coriander's fate' (Philip Daws & Margaret Niewiadomska HAVERHILL ECHO )

'...blends accurate historical detail with magic. ...a narrative with a really fresh voice... this novel can be said to be enchanting' (Jennifer Taylor CHILDREN'S BOOKSELLER (AUG 05) )

'A glorious, beautifully written novel... This story entranced me from page one and didn't let me go until the last sentence' (Julian Exposito BOOKSELLER CHILDREN'S BUYER'S GUIDE: HIGHLIGHTS )

'...richly written, highly visual and full of accurate historical detail, but most importantly it tells the story of a strong young woman who will overcome whatever life throws at her.' (Wendy Cooling CHILD EDUCATION MAGAZINE )

'From the first the story is gripping and the evocation of the times as vivid as Pepys' diary... it is with a real sense of loss that the reader reaches the end of the tale... Strikingly original and richly textured... a very special book indeed.' (Barbara Sherrard-Smith SCHOOL LIBRARIAN )

'heartrending' (Julia Eccleshare LOOK AT A BOOK (The Guardian) )

'Deft and dulcet language, a cast of supporters... and the tie to a grim historical season will hold readers fast.' (KIRKUS REVIEWS )

'[readers] will reap rewards from Gardner's conjuring of both turbulent 17th Century London and the shimmering mysteries of fairyland' (Jennifer Mattson BOOKLIST )

'captivating... you fall in love with her sensitive yet resolute character within five minutes of the start.' (THE INDEPENDENT )

'a winner... a wonderful mixture of history, adventure, romance and magic.' (BOOKS FOR KEEPS )

'one of the most original and unforgettable stories of 2005' (CAROUSEL )

'A very unusual, poetic tale' (Rosalind Kerven THE NORTHERN ECHO )

'original and enigmatic' (Juliet Towsend THE SPECTATOR )

'I, Coriander tells the troubled, half-magical stroy of a girl living at the time of Cromwell. Flitting between two worlds, this is a truly original work, richly detailing and emotionally compelling.' (Nick Tucker THE INDEPENDENT 9.12.06 )

'This hybrid of historical fiction and fairytale is sure to be a hit with a wide audience. The rich descriptions and adventurous plot, as well as hints of romance and danger, will appeal to enthusiasts of a variety of genres.' (Beth Morrissey INIS (CHILDREN'S BOOKS IRELAND) Winter 05 )

'Sally Gardner convincingly turned herself from an illustrator who wrote into a novelist with her magical debut I, Coriander. Combining a classic fairy tale storyline with a beautifully described historical backdrop, she produced a wonderful book.' (Graham Marks PUBLISHING NEWS 16.12.05 )

'a beautifully written tale of suspense and intrigue.' (Nancy Castaldo HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW )

'The characters were really believable... Anyone who likes history or is interested in this period would enjoy this story.' (Carriona Paterson (Portobello High) TEEN TITLES )

'Brilliant descriptions, powerfully evoking the sounds and smells of London in the period and superbly drawn characters combine with a delicately constructed plot to make this book a real pleasure.' (GOOD BOOK GUIDE )

See all Product Description

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84% buy the item featured on this page:
I, Coriander 4.6 out of 5 stars (20)
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Customer Reviews

20 Reviews
5 star:
 (14)
4 star:
 (5)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (20 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Spellbinding historical fantasy, 13 Oct 2005
'I,Coriander' is a fascinating fairy tale giving a sharp historical perspective on the Commonwealth, the period following the English civil war.It is a substantial fairytale told with total conviction by Sally Gardner who marries the fantastical fairies with solid historical facts presented elegantly in a totally credible fashion. She is adept at conjuring up the sights, sounds and smells of 17th century England. She is particularly good at smells; the stench of the middens running along the street, the smell of unwashed bodies, the upturned chamberpots, the filthy Thames. She writes of a period made famous by Samuel Pepys in his diaries. It is a period of violent, political turmoil with suspected royalists being denounced, and Puritans with their killjoy approach to life, holding sway over everything.
The heroine Coriander, only child of a wealthy silk merchant and his fairy wife Eleanor, inherits from her dead mother her 'cunning' skills. She can diagnose and heal sickness using her mother's simples and herbs.
It is a delightful, beautifully constructed novel. It reads easily as it tells of the travails of the child Coriander stepping between life as the stepchild of a violent ranting Puritan Maud with her drunken preacher associate Arise Fell and her spells with the fairies as she struggles with the Fairy Queen Rosmore and her powerful raven for the soul of her mother and the life of the handsome Prince Tycho.
Sally Gardner is totally steeped in the period and brings it vividly to life. All her characters seem to have a life of their own and continued living for me long after I finished the book.
'I,Coriander' partially recalled Celia Rees 'Witchchild'for me and also 'The Wise Woman' by Philippa Gregory (set in Tudor England) both novels are concerned with 'witchcraft'using simples and herbs. However 'I, Coriander' uses a gentler form of magic although the fairies themselves are malevolent and vengeful.
Sally Gardner draws some delightful full-blooded characters especially Coriander herself, Hester, Gabriel and Master Thankless. She is clever too at delineating some revolting villains especially the mean-spirited, violent tempered Maud and the fanatical, serve-serving Puritan preacher Arise Fell. It is a strong story well-told and kept me so absorbed I read it at a sitting being unwilling to put it down until evil was vanquished but to learn how you must read the book yourself.I strongly recommend this thoroughly absorbing read.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Magical & lyrical, 16 Jul 2006
This review is from: I, Coriander (Paperback)
Wow... that really is the better way to describe this! The words are so beautifully old fashioned (without being hard to read) and the story is equally beautiful as well. The kind of book that hexes you, and refuses to let you go. Every moment spent reading it is a moment in pure bliss!

The story tells of Coriander, and how she came to grow up. Loosing her mother at a very young age, her life takes on a very strange, twisted and evil road to adulthood. After her mother suddenly and unexpectantly dies, her father re-marries and then has to leave the country to save his own life. Coriander is left in the care of her new step mother, and her priest. A team that is nothing less than the devils own. They take pleasure in tormenting Coriander, and claim they are "witch hunters". Coriander on the other hand refuses to give in to the cruelty. And escapes to the Fairyland her mother once came from. Where she meets new friends, falls in love and meets yet another evil woman. The evil queen. Coriander must leave the fairylands behind, to save her mothers soul, and the life of her beloved!

I, Coriander is a highly original fairytale. Told through the eyes and words of a girl brought up with fine silk, and silver spoons. Yet she is no porcelain doll. She is a fiesty young woman, and she tackles whatever life throws at her! It is in deed a gorgeous novel! It'll be a treasure for years to come!
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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars brilliant book, 30 Sep 2005
By Meadhbh Grant (London, UK) - See all my reviews
I, Coriander is a book about two different worlds, the world of fairies and witches and the human world of hardship and cruelty. I'm 9 and I couldn't put it down. It is a book to inspire young writers and encourage dyslexic readers because of how the writer overcame her disabilities.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful historical fairy story....
What a wonderful book, just read over the may bank holiday. Don't be put off by the fact that its a young adults read-it really is storytelling at its best and any age group would... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Karon.

4.0 out of 5 stars i coriander
I think the book is fantastic and very dark/ As a parent I do not approve of some of the swearing that is used as it is supposed to be a childrens book and I do not think that it... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mr. Andrew S. Burcham

5.0 out of 5 stars i,coriander - special!!!
i, coriander is one of the best books i've ever read. its very interesting, and once i started i couldn't stop, meaning i had to read my book club book really fast... Read more
Published 6 months ago

4.0 out of 5 stars Magical...
I really enjoyed this novel. The one reason I love being in a book club is the introduction to books that I would never have read - not least because this is a children's story... Read more
Published 7 months ago by LittleReader

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
I brought this book before it gained all the awards, and i was surprised that it allready hadent got any. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Bookworm says :)

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book ever!!!
This magical Classic had me hooked from the first word up until the last sentence, i just could not put it down. Read more
Published 14 months ago by em

5.0 out of 5 stars A page turner!
I was recommended this book by a friend who said it was a historical fantasy type novel. Fantasy genre is not really for me but this book totally suprised. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Laura

2.0 out of 5 stars Great story, needs to work on her history
"I, Coriander" is a lovely story. And taken purely as a story, it's probably one of the best new pieces of children's fiction to crop up in the post-Potter landscape... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Mr. M. W. Hilton

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!
This is the best book that I have ever read. It is fantasy and adventure mixed together!! It's amazing!!!!!!!!
Published 20 months ago by oOOooOOoOOoOoOOoO

5.0 out of 5 stars The Silver Shoes
I was lent this book by a very dear friend. I finished it quickly but it stuck in my mind. It was fabulous. Beautiful. Read more
Published on 6 May 2007 by F. Haswell

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