by Lois Lowry, 1993, Ever After Kindle Edition, 2018, Houghton Mifflin Houghton Books for Children, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

I came across this book due to an unusual circumstance. I went to a Brown alumni club Holiday party and was sitting next to an elderly lady with whom I was engaged in a conversation. I asked her what she had done as a career and she said she wrote books, mostly children’s books. The woman across the table said she knew that that the woman, Lois Lowry, had written The Giver, a book that had won the Newberry Award in the young adult’s category in 1994. What a nice occasion to be sitting next to a renowned author and be able to chat with her informally, even though I previously didn’t have a clue as to who she was.

I asked her what the book was about, and she replied that it was dystopian. I became curious about it and decided to read it.

The book approaches the level of The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, in the strange atmosphere it creates (although without some of the seamier content of that novel). The story is told from the viewpoint of a young boy who is given his role in life on his twelfth birthday.

As I read the book, I was trying to recall the content of some of the books I read as a teenager. I determined that it would probably be okay for kids thirteen and older. I also thought that the book would probably be subjected to banning in some locations due to its anti-authoritarian content which would be unfortunate.

The book is written very well, and the plot and characters are engaging. I liked it a lot and was thankful to have had the opportunity to converse with the author.