The First Vial

By Linnea Heinrichs

Nominated for the 2006 OLA White Pine Young Readers Choice Award Set against the backdrop of the inescapable horror of the fourteenth-century plague and medieval heroism and chivalry, The First Vial... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1894345843
• ISBN13: 9781894345842
• Release Date: March 2007
• Publisher: Thistledown Press
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.82 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.6" x 1.0" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Katherine, Lady of Crenfeld Castle, is a very strong female in a male-dominated society. After being left a widow, she tries to maintain her rule over her castle and the village that surrounds her. She has many problems, such as a diabolical priest, the plague, and her gender, which are the least of her problems. She has a guardian to help her, who is the Lord Victor, but Katherine is very smart and forward-thinking. My favorite character is the Jewish doctor, Benjamin, who has smuggled a copy of the gospel of John and has become a Christian. Although he is a Christian, he is not the type that was accepted in those days when the church was the real ruler of the world. Having scriptures that you read was not only unacceptable but also punishable by death. THE FIRST VIAL is well-researched, and I enjoyed reading about the effects that the plague had on the poor as well as the rich. Many images in the book were very scary. The treatment of those who had the plague, as well as their loved ones, was horrific. There is one chapter where the death wagons are described, as well as the common grave where everyone was buried. This is an exceptional book that I may use while teaching medieval history. Thank you, Ms. Heinrichs. Reviewed by: Marta Morrison

It Takes You Back

I think this book is a great piece of literature. It's like traveling back in time and actually being in the place. How the author captures the sights, sounds, and smells of an era so precisely is beyond me. I loved every page of it.

A worthwhile read

Perhaps I've just read too many books with medieval fantasy settings lately, but The First Vial felt like a welcome break from the dragons, magic swords and bargain-basement Merlins that inhabit those make-believe worlds. The author has clearly done her homework on the time period, but she doesn't flaunt it in the story. The little touches--from 14th century food and dress to medieval medicine--are just part of the mosiac of the story rather than being the central pieces. The characters are interesting, not just cookie cutter damsels in distress and heros riding to their rescue. They are marked by and grow from their experiences. Katherine in particular is a strong female character. Somehow, without super powers or a magic lamp, she manages to get by in a very difficult world using just her brains and bravery. She never steps "out of character" for the time period this story takes place. Times she does get near the edge of "acceptable female behavior" (for the period) she pays the price. I have not read the "companion book" (Connie Willis' "Doomsday Book"), but I did read and enjoy Edward Rutherford's "The Forest". While "The Forest" covers a much wider time period, it does spend a great deal of time in this same era, and "The First Vial" reminded me of those parts I found enlightening and entertaining in "The Forest." "The First Vial" starts off at a liesurely pace, but don't let that put you off. It picks up steam as it goes along and I was glad to have a long Thanksgiving Weekend so I could finish it in large chunks. An overall "bravo" for Ms. Heinrichs and her debut novel.