I, Coriander

by Sally Gardner

Book Overview

After her beloved mother dies and her father is forced to flee London, Coriander is left at the mercy of a stepmother full of cruelty. In the very nick of time, Coriander finds that she has somehow... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0803730993
• ISBN13: 9780803730991
• Release Date: August 2005
• Publisher: Dial Books
• Length: 280 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.3" x 8.9"
• Age Range: 10 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 5 and higher

Customer Reviews

I love this book but it's not very good condition

The cover was taped around with a piece of white paper, it takes hassle to peal it off and damaged the front page + big marker with someone's name on top of the book.

Upsetting, but well done

I feel kind of mixed about this book. It was miserable at times to read, but it had character and style and a vibe for sure. It was an Experience™️ at the very least, and I always enjoy those.

The Awesome Book!

Do you have a favorite book? Look no further!!! Read this book I Coriander. It is the best book I have ever read. I like it because there are romantic parts, sad parts, and nice parts in the book. That's my opinion. Its up to you if you like it!J The book is about a girl named Coriander and she lives a happy child hood until a pair of silver shoes magically appear at the front door. They were meant for her with the first letter of her first name on them. Her mom said no but on her b-day she took them out of her fathers study. After that everything went wrong. Her mom died and they did not know the cause. Then her father had to remarry and that made things worse. She got a horrible stepmother. The story ends up being good. I don't want to give out too much about the book. I highly suggest you to read this book. Shannon C.

A Gripping Historical, with a Little Magic, Too

This weekend I finished listening to I, Coriander, by Sally Gardner. This book won the Nestlé Children's Book Prize in December 2005. I found the book so compelling that I almost didn't mind cleaning my house this weekend, as long as I had the book to listen to while I did so (I downloaded it). But seriously, I, Coriander is mostly a historical novel, with a sprinkling of magic thrown in to keep things from getting too dark. Coriander Hobie is the daughter of a 17th century London silk merchant, and grows up in a beautiful house adjacent to the Thames. Her mother is a "cunning woman" who grows herbs, and helps the locals with her potions. Coriander wears beautiful dresses, and learns to read (unusual for a young girl of the time). Coriander's young life is idyllic until a pair of mysterious silver shoes appear on her doorstep, and change everything. Before much time passes, Coriander finds herself living under the repressive rule of black-hearted Puritans, people who perform cruel acts, and suck the joy out of life, all in the name of God. She also visits a parallel world, her mother's world, populated by fairies, and discovers an evil authority figure there, too. Coriander must pass back and forth between the two worlds, and find a way to recover a lost family treasure, save the life of a prince, save the life of a human family member, understand the secret of the silver shoes, and defeat her Puritan oppressors. No small set of tasks for a young 17th century girl. I found Coriander's Puritan oppressors particularly disturbing. The unfairness of their behavior had me practically sputtering aloud, as they performed outrage after outrage. The book reminded me a bit of Elizabeth George Speare's The Witch of Blackbird Pond (which also features a free-spirited girl whom Puritans attempt to quench). There is a scene in which the local constable searches a house, and indulges in wanton destruction (again in the name of God), that made me positively cringe. But I think that it says good things about the book, that I was so disturbed by portions of it. Sally Gardner brings Oliver Cromwell's London vividly to life in I, Coriander. And Coriander herself is a multi-faceted character whom I cared about a great deal by the end of the book. The supporting characters are not quite so well fleshed out, but still enjoyable. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to older kids who are fans of historical novels. I think that certain parts of the book might be too dark for most younger children (say, under 10). The magical elements of the book will likely draw in other readers, but for me, the real-world scenes are what make the book stand out. The Guardian Unlimited published an excellent article about Sally Gardner back in December. The article said that writing books was a particularly big achievement for Ms. Gardner because she is dyslexic, didn't learn to read until she was fourteen, and even attended a school for "unteachable" kids when she w

Fabulous narration, excellent story!

First I want to mention what a terrific narrator tells the story of Coriander Hobie on this audio edition of the book. Juliet Stevenson, well known in the UK and better known to US audiences as the mother of Keira Knightley's character in the movie "Bend It Like Beckham" is absolutely hypnotic as the narrator. My daughter and I like to listen to audiobooks together in the car when we have nothing to argue about or when the drive is a long one. We've been doing this together since she was a little girl, and we still do it even though she's a teenager. It's my chance to expose her to different kinds of books and her chance to communicate to me the kinds of books and stories and fantasies closest to her heart without writing me an essay. Both of us were enchanted by this wonderful story and by the unbelievably expressive reading of Juliet Stevenson. The story takes place at the time of Oliver Crowell during the 17th century in England. I am a history lover, and have always loved historical fiction. My daughter usually can't even be bribed to read a history book. This story is so interesting and well-told, with really colorful characters and dialects that my daughter was as wrapped up in its fantasy as I was. I really value Listening Library's collection of books on tape and CD because I am able to share my passions with my daughter (and my husband) through books like this that make history come alive--I can't recommend this book highly enough. My daughter was so enchanted by the story that once it was over, she asked if we could start it again from the beginning!

In a Cinderella fashion

"I have lit the first of seven candles to write my story by. On the table next to me is the silk purse that holds my mother's pearls and beside it is the ebony box whose treasure I am only now beginning to understand. Next to that, shining nearly as bright as the moon, stands a pair of silver shoes. I have a great many things to tell, of how I came by the silver shoes and more. And this being my story and a fairy tale besides, I will start once upon a time . . . ." Young Teens will sympathize with Sally Gardener's I, Coriander. In a Cinderella fashion, after the death of her mother Coriander's hasty remarries brings an ugly stepmother and then flees from political enemies. Coriander like Cinderella faces the consequences of her father's marriage alone. Magic shoes also make an appearance in this novel. The fairy tale quality of Coriander's narrative will delight young teens while the darker themes will appeal to their angst. Coriander's stepmother and her Puritan minister boyfriend attempt to break Coriander's spirit and even attempt to exhaust her life. Teens will relate to these themes of domination and lack of control, seen prominently in the stripping away of Coriander's name and previous identity. And like Cinderella, Coriander finds herself amidst the terror and abuse and not only rescues herself but her prince as well. Younger teens will especially delight in this story fraught with fairy tale imagery and modern self reliance.

A Tale of High Adventure

Coriander Hobie, born to a wealthy mother and father in 1643, has never longed for anything. Except, of course, a pair of gorgeous, weightless silver shoes that were annonymously sent to her one summer, and promptly hidden away, in a place forbidden for her prying hands. However, Coriander, being a smart child, finds a way to release the shoes from their captivity in her father's office, and places them on her feet, only to be transported to a strange land. Now, after the death of her mother, her father's sudden departure, and being kept under lock and key by a large woman and a supposed-Preacher, Coriander has decided to tell her story. A story that she has written by the light of seven separate candles, in which she will describe each part of her story the best way she knows how. A story of the city streets of London, of a strange land where fairies are found by the bushel, of a frightening alligator, and a lovely ebony box. And, last, but not least, a pair of silver shoes. I will be the first to admit that the one thing about Sally Gardner's book I, CORIANDER that instantly caught my eye was the gorgeous cover. In all of my years of reading, I can't say that I have ever seen a cover illustration so glamorous as the one found on Gardner's novel. However, the story kept within its pages is quite remarkable on its own, and the cover illustration only enhances the beauty of the story within. Coriander is a wonderful character whom will win the hearts of all readers - especially female - as she is a determined, brave, brash young character who shows no fear, and longs to help everyone around her. Her descriptions of life with her mother and father, as well as the hardtimes she falls upon after her father flees are engrossing, and will leave readers itching for more. A marvelous book for fans of historical fiction, fantasy, and a smidgen of romance. Erika Sorocco Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper