Gathering Blue

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

Review By: Katie Rose

                In the world of young adult literature, dystopian futures are in. The Hunger Games and Divergent are just two examples of dystopian stories that have soared to fame, and have even earned themselves movie adaptations. Both stories feature young women caught in a struggle for justice and freedom in a controlled and depraved future. However, this surge of dystopian young adult fiction has been around for a long time, and these two stories are certainly not the first to focus on the life and struggles of a young girl. Gathering Blue was published in 2000 by Lois Lowry, the writer of the beloved classic, The Giver.  The two stories take place in the same world, but in different villages that are both authoritarian societies that use fear to control the masses.

                Gathering Blue is the story of a young girl named Kira, perhaps 11-14 years old, who was born with a mangled leg. In her society, infants who are born “imperfect” are left in a field to die. In fact, any person who becomes unable to work is left to die in the same field whether they fall ill or suffer injury. Children are not treasured, but instead are treated like nuisances until they are old enough to contribute and are often beaten and neglected. The only reason Kira lived was because her mother refused to let the others take Kira away. She taught Kira to be proud of her leg, and to be proud of the pain it caused her; because it showed that she was stronger than everyone else. For children who are disabled in any way, this can be a powerful message and it is one that is very strong throughout the book.

                The people of Kira’s village live in extreme poverty. Their homes are wooden shacks and they sleep on cots they make themselves. They never try to achieve anything more than what they have because their lives are controlled by fear. The Guardians of the village are rich and powerful men. They forbid women to read, and most men never learn because it is not necessary for survival. The desire for knowledge, learning, and compassion for others has been completely stomped out of the people. They are cruel, selfish, and unafraid to use violence to get rid of those they dislike. As with almost all visions of the future written nowadays, it is a grim one. Perhaps the most terrifying part of this picture is that the people do not even try to improve their lives, because they do not even realize that there is anything wrong with how they live.

The book begins with the death of Kira’s mother. Kira is alone and faced with the fate her mother saved her from as a child. But Kira has a gift, she has a magical ability for threading, and it is this gift that saves her life. She is brought into the world of the elite to use her gifts, but soon discovers this blessing is not what it seems. She embarks on a journey that shows her the reality that she has accepted her entire life as the way things are is not the way things have to be, and discovers the secrets that were hidden in her own history.

Unlike The Hunger Games, this story does not end in revolution. The story is much more personal, more focused on Kira’s journey. Her bravery, strength, and desire to learn are the most important aspects of her adventure. The books does not end with a bloody uprising. Much like The Giver, it is about Kira’s escaping the idea that how her village lives is the correct, or the only way, to live. In the end Kira learns there is more to life than what she has been given, and that she and others like her do not have accept the cruel fate their societies have assigned to them.

I adored this book when I was a kid. I would read it over and over again. I loved Kira, I related to her and admired her struggle. Re-reading it for this review, I was struck by it in a totally different way than I had when I was a child. The horror of the society that this story takes place in was lost on me as a child, as many things were, but now as an adult I see our own world reflected in it. The world in this book is much more realistic to me than any other dystopian I have read. There are no futuristic elements in it at all. It does not combine flying ships and super weapons with authoritarian governments. Instead it paints the picture of a future much closer to our own past, one that reflects very real events happening across the world now.

Gathering Blue is a children’s book, but like all the best children’s stories, they contain adult themes that prepare children for the future. I may not have realized it at the time, but this book definitely influenced me. Kira is a young girl who proved that, despite her disability, can do amazing things. She is never miraculously healed, she never becomes a great leader or warrior. She remains a young girl who has a talent for manipulating thread, but it is her heart and mind that undergo the change. One of my biggest problems with The Hunger Games was the character development of the main character, Katniss. She starts out the story as a strong and caring young woman who provides for her family, and in the end is a broken and bitter woman who is filled with hate and regret. Kira does not suffer that same fate.

                Final Verdict? Definitely read it for yourself. It is an amazing book. It is targeting for children, and I encourage you to let your little ones read it despite the harsh realities it portrays. I wouldn’t recommend this book for children under ten though, but that is completely up to the parent of course. It is a powerful book, one that can teach a young girl a lot about strength of heart and character. If your little one has a disability, I especially think this story can be an inspiring one for them. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I have throughout my life!