The Secret Sacrament

by Sherryl Jordan

From the author of the bestselling novel, 'The Raging Quiet', comes a powerful and exotic tale of freedom and courage, and strength to make the ultimate sacrifice. Terrified, a young Navaron child watches helplessly from his hiding place as a young Shinili woman is brutally beaten and abused by a group of drunken Navaron men. Too frightened to answer her pleas for help the child runs away taking with him the sacred bone carving of the Shinili people and in doing so forever binds himself and his fate to them. Gabriel is no ordinary boy. His life is marked out for greatness by powers beyond his understanding...He's never wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and become a wealthy, sea-faring merchant, celebrated by all in the ancient empire of Navora - but cold and distant to his family. Haunted by a terrible childhood secret Gabriel spurns family tradition and duties as the eldest son, to pursue a life of helping others. Derived from a deep sense of guilt and strange mysterious visions Gabriel knows that he is destined to become a healer, with the power to decipher dreams, no matter what his overbearing family argues.
But against his will, Gabriel finds himself caught up in the power struggles of a corrupt Empire, endangering all that he loves. His decision to hold true to his destiny is one that will cost him dearly, and one that threatens to tear apart the entire Navoran Empire - but which might just end up saving an entire people.

• ISBN10: 0689837097
• ISBN13: 9780689837098
• Publish Date: 3 March 2003 (first published 6 February 2001)
• Publish Status: Unknown
• Out of Print: 27 April 2006
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster Children's
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[wyvernfriend]

An interesting story about a boy who decides he wants to heal and help and what he has to do to fulfil that wish.

Gabriel saw an attack on a helpless Shinali woman, the tribe his people are supressing, have invaded. This has stayed with him all his life. She gives him a bone, this bone reminds him of her and gives him strange visions.

When he has an opportunity to meet with some Shinali he finds that things aren't as straightforward as he may have been lead to think.

There are moments where it's a little obvious but it's a good read.