THE JEWEL OF LIFE

by Anna Kirwan-Vogel ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 1991

Old Crowe the apothecary/alchemist is fortunate in his new apprentice: young Duffy may be an unprepossessing orphan, but he displays both a lively curiosity and an unsuspected talent for magic. Within days, Dully travels to other worlds, brings back a precious cockatrice feather, and--with Crowe explaining how alchemical substances should be interpreted not just in physical terms but also in a psychological and spiritual sense--creates the Philosopher's Stone itself. While townspeople, frightened by an eclipse, burn clown Crowe's shop, Duffy reclaims the Stone after a magic battle with a dragon and uses it to bring the old man back to life. Since this spare, fluidly written story is symbol-driven, plot and characters are sculpted in bas-relief and are predictable in both appearance and behavior. Still, the author knows her herbal and alchemical lore and creates vivid, scary monsters.

Pub Date: May 1, 1991

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 128

Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1991

Categories: CHILDREN'S