A masterfully crafted story set in medieval times begins with a girl named Beatryce, who can’t remember anything about her past except her name. Brother Edik finds Beatryce in the monastery stable and convinces his fellow monks to harbor her. Although disguised as a novice monk, Beatryce puts the monastery in danger as a girl who can read and write. In a nearby village is an orphan named Jack Dory, bent on revenge against the robber who killed his parents. When Jack Dory arrives at the monastery to find a monk to take a dying soldier’s confession, the head monk sends Beatryce—and a disagreeable goat named Answelica that’s devoted to her—instructing Jack not to bring them back. Shortly after, Brother Edik comes upon a prophecy about a girl who will bring down a king and realizes it must be Beatryce. Soon they’re all on the run from soldiers who murdered Beatryce’s family at the king’s request, events that begin to come back to Beatryce. They’re helped by Cannoc, a sage who has secrets of his own. Smart and spirited, fierce and tender Beatryce; Jack, whose ache for revenge can’t quell his goodness; kind and gentle Brother Edik, with his quiet courage; and equally kind but fiercely capable Cannoc, who rejected the mantle of power, are such captivating, complicated characters, all white, who are navigating loss and sustained by love. Writing that sparkles with wit and is a pleasure to read, along with beautiful design and illustrations, make for a richly satisfying tale. (Ages 8-12)

A #1 New York Times bestseller

From two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo and two-time Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall comes a fantastical meditation on fate, love, and the power of words to spell the world.

We shall all, in the end, be led to where we belong. We shall all, in the end, find our way home.

In a time of war, a mysterious child appears at the monastery of the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing. Gentle Brother Edik finds the girl, Beatryce, curled in a stall, wracked with fever, coated in dirt and blood, and holding fast to the ear of Answelica the goat. As the monk nurses Beatryce to health, he uncovers her dangerous secret, one that imperils them all—for the king of the land seeks just such a girl, and Brother Edik, who penned the prophecy himself, knows why.

And so it is that a girl with a head full of stories—powerful tales-within-the-tale of queens and kings, mermaids and wolves—ventures into a dark wood in search of the castle of one who wishes her dead. But Beatryce knows that, should she lose her way, those who love her—a wild-eyed monk, a man who had once been king, a boy with a terrible sword, and a goat with a head as hard as stone—will never give up searching for her, and to know this is to know everything. With its timeless themes, unforgettable cast, and magical medieval setting, Kate DiCamillo’s lyrical tale, paired with resonant black-and-white illustrations by Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall, is a true collaboration between masters.