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Each member of Clann a Tuath is assigned a job upon coming of age. Agatha was given the task of being a Hawk, patrolling the high walls of the town to look out for possible danger; Jaime was made an Angler, fishing in the waters around the island. But Agatha’s fitness for her job as Hawk is questioned because of mistakes she makes, as well as her intellectual disability. In other places, people like her aren’t even given the chance to make it past infancy. Jaime, also, is unique: He has been chosen to marry a girl from another clan, which is very unsettling because marriage is not practiced in Clann a Tuath. But its leaders are hoping the alliance will give added protection to the clan as word travels that danger is on the horizon.
When the worst happens and the deamhain from Norveg kidnap the clan to become their slaves, it’s up to Jaime and Agatha to travel from their home on the Isle of Skye across the mainland of Scotia, which has been mostly uninhabited since a plague swept through it (but rumors swirl of terrors that lurk there), and over to Norveg to somehow rescue their clan. They face their fears and begin to find confidence in their strengths; Agatha, in particular, has a special talent that she’s had to hide within her clan but allows her to help.
Author Joseph Elliott worked with children with learning disabilities, his mother is a “teacher trained in special needs education,” and his parents “provided respite foster care for children with additional needs,” The Good Hawk’s About the Author section says. Agatha was inspired by such young people, especially those with Down syndrome, and it’s a treat to read a fantasy book whose main character has Down syndrome. The story alternates between the points of view of Agatha and Jaime, so parts are told in Agatha’s words. Having a main character with a disability could be just a gimmick, but Elliott writes well enough and the story works and flows well enough that it doesn’t feel like a device. I have a young adult daughter with Down syndrome myself, and it was lovely to imagine her as Agatha. I enjoyed the story and the characters and appreciated this brave heroine.
Rated: Moderate. There is no language and no sexual content. Violence is what makes this book earn a moderate rating, at least for younger readers in the YA audience: the world of the book is dangerous and killing happens frequently and with a good amount of blood and moderate detail. Might be more towards a mild for older readers, or on the borderline.
* I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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