Voices by Ursula K Le Guin

Ursula Le Guin will be 80 this year, and continues to write imaginative and intelligent books. This one is the second in a series called ‘Annals of the Western Shore’. I love books with maps, and the ones given at the beginning of this book help to foster the belief in the lands, cities, customs and history created in vivid detail. The invented words and names enrich the novel further.
17 year-old Memer, born after her mother was raped by invaders, is the narrator. She has sought refuge in the Oracle House, where she is taught the rare skill of reading, using the hidden collection of books. The city remains in the control of the occupying army, but things begin to change with the arrival of a wandering poet, his wife and their pet lion.
The book is beautifully presented; the cover design complements the text, and the edges of the pages have been left rough. Nice touch!