D (a Tale of Two Worlds) (Hardcover)
Staff Reviews
Faber pays homage to C.S. Lewis and Charles Dickens in this intriguing tale of a strong young girl who courageously tries to set the world right. Dhikilo is a 13-year old refugee from Somaliland, who has been adopted by an English couple. As she copes with being different from her peers, she becomes friendly with her history teacher, the ancient Professor Dodderfield, the only person of her acquaintance who knows where Somaliland is. One day, she notices that the letter D is disappearing, first from road signs, then in people's conversations. Mysterious events at Dodderfield's funeral lead her to the professor's home, where she finds him alive in the company of his dog, Mrs. Robinson, who can turn into an intimidating sphinx. The Professor encourages Dhikilo and Mrs. Robinson to try to find out where all the Ds are going, and their mission takes them to the land of Liminus, where they encounter strange groups of individuals who are enslaved by a dictator, the Gamp, who is using the Ds to maintain his empire in perpetual winter. There are harrowing adventures, a bit of magic, and imaginative characters that come to life in Faber's witty and compelling prose. Though this is adult fiction, it would be a great read-aloud to children who enjoy the same scary yet wonderful story-telling of the Narnia tales.
— AliceDescription
"Glorious. A story that will be found and enjoyed and dreamed about for years to come."--Neil Gaiman
A stunning modern-day Dickensian fable and a celebration of friendship and bravery for freethinkers everywhere.
It all starts on the morning the letter D disappears from language. First, it vanishes from Dhikilo's parents' conversation at breakfast, then from the road signs outside and from her school dinners. Soon the local dentist and the neighbor's dalmatian are missing, and even the Donkey Derby has been called off.
Though she doesn't know why, Dhikilo is summoned to the home of her old history teacher Professor Dodderfield and his faithful Labrador, Nelly Robinson. And this is where our story begins.
Set between England and the wintry land of Liminus, a world enslaved by the monstrous Gamp and populated by fearsome, enchanting creatures, D (A Tale of Two Worlds) is told with simple beauty and warmth. Its celebration of moral courage and freethinking is a powerful reminder of our human capacity for strength, hope and justice.
Don't miss Michel Faber's lyrically woven and deeply evocative nonfiction debut, LISTEN, which relfects his lifelong passion for music of all kinds and will change your relationship with the heard world