I am reading The Dollmage by Martine Leavitt, and she says something interesting in the story. The book reminds me of a Lois Lowry story because it is set in a nonexistent, ancient feeling time. In the village, the people are given a promise doll when they are born. These dolls are like a person’s spirit and conscience. (To really undesrtand what the dolls are used for, you would need to read the book.)

A person’s promise doll is an indivual’s potential as well as a standard for that person to uphold. If someone makes a promise, the person’s doll would hold that person accountable.

In the story, the Dollmage reads from a scroll on the God doll and explains to a young girl, Renoa, the secret workings of the dolls:

“‘Words are God’s dolls…. With a word he made us. Only to us, his children, did he give words and the power to make.’ That is why the promise is so important. If we break a promise, a word means nothing, and if a word means nothing, then we have lost the power God gave us.”

“But…but with that power came the freedom to lie, the ability to destroy a real thing with words,” Renoa said.

With all of the frivilous YA books out there, it is heartening to know that there are some causing people to think about real things. Remember all you YA haters, there are ones worth reading.