Gathering Blue

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More About This Book

Overview

In perhaps her strongest work to date, Lois Lowry once again creates a mysterious but plausible future world. It is a society ruled by savagery and deceit and that shuns and discards the weak. Left orphaned and physically flawed, young Kira faces a frightening, uncertain future. Blessed with an almost magical talent that keeps her alive, she struggles with ever broadening responsibilities in her quest for truth, discovering things that will change her life forever.
As she did in THE GIVER, Lowry challenges readers to imagine what our world could become, how people could evolve, and what could be considered valuable. Every reader will be taken by Kira’s plight and will long ponder her haunting world and the hope for the future.

Lame and suddenly orphaned, Kira is mysteriously removed from her squalid village to live in the palatial Council Edifice, where she is expected to use her gifts as a weaver to do the bidding of the all-powerful Guardians.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
After conjuring the pitfalls of a technologically advanced society in The Giver, Lowry looks toward a different type of future to create this dark, prophetic tale with a strong medieval flavor. Having suffered numerous unnamed disasters (aka, the Ruin), civilization has regressed to a primitive, technology-free state; an opening author's note describes a society in which "disorder, savagery, and self-interest" rule. Kira, a crippled young weaver, has been raised and taught her craft by her mother, after her father was allegedly killed by "beasts." When her mother dies, Kira fears that she will be cast out of the village. Instead, the society's Council of Guardians installs her as caretaker of the Singer's robe, a precious ceremonial garment depicting the history of the world and used at the annual Gathering. She moves to the Council Edifice, a gothic-style structure, one of the few to survive the Ruin. The edifice and other settings, such as the Fen--the village ghetto--and the small plot where Annabella (an elder weaver who mentors Kira after her mother's death) lives are especially well drawn, and the characterizations of Kira and the other artists who cohabit the stone residence are the novel's greatest strength. But the narrative hammers at the theme of the imprisoned artist. And readers may well predict where several important plot threads are headed (e.g., the role of Kira's Guardian, Jamison; her father's disappearance), while larger issues, such as the society's downfall, are left to readers' imaginations. Ages 10-up. (Sept.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.
More Reviews (1) Fewer Reviews
From The Critics
A New York Times Bestseller

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780440229490
  • Publisher: Random House Children's Books
  • Publication date: 9/28/2002
  • Format: Mass Market Paperback
  • Pages: 224
  • Sales rank: 22,605
  • Age range: 12 - 17 Years
  • Lexile: 0680L (what's this?)
  • Product dimensions: 6.88 (w) x 10.88 (h) x 0.62 (d)

Meet the Author

Lois Lowry
Lois Lowry

Ron Rifkin has appeared in the films Wolf and JFK, starred on Broadway in Arthur Miller's Broken Glass and has played recurring roles on television in the series The Trials of Rosie O'Neill and the award-winning drama series ER.

Read an Excerpt

“Mother?” There was no reply. She hadn’t expected one. Her mother had been dead now for four days, and Kira could tell that the last of the spirit was drifting away. “Mother.” She said it again, quietly, to whatever was leaving. She thought that she could feel its leavetaking, the way one could feel a small whisper of breeze at night.
Now she was all alone. Kira felt the aloneness, the uncertainty, and a great sadness.
This had been her mother, the warm and vital woman whose name had been Katrina. Then after the brief and unexpected sickness, it had become the body of Katrina, still containing the lingering spirit. After four sunsets and sunrises, the spirit too was gone. It was simply a body. Diggers would come and sprinkle a layer of soil over the flesh, but even so it would be eaten by the clawing, hungry creatures that came at night. Then the bones would scatter, rot, and crumble to become part of the earth.
Kira wiped briefly at her eyes, which had filled suddenly with tears. She had loved her mother, and would miss her terribly. But it was time for her to go. She wedged her walking stick in the soft ground, leaned on it, and pulled herself up.

Copyright © 2000 by Lois Lowry

Reading Group Guide

1. Discuss what gave Katrina, Kira’s mother, the courage to stand up to the people of the village and spare Kira’s life, when the custom in Kira’s society was to destroy babies born with birth defects. Do you think Katrina was aware of her daughter’s gift? Katrina never created the color blue. Do you think she knew that her daughter would someday find the secret of creating blue?

2. At the beginning of the novel, Katrina dies and Kira is left homeless. Kira is fearful, especially when Vandara, a vicious and angry woman, tells her that she is worthless. Discuss the strength Kira displays when she faces the Council of Guardians. How does Kira show strength and courage throughout the novel?

3. Discuss the way children are treated in Kira’s society. What is the difference between abuse and neglect? How is Matt both abused and neglected? What is his role in the story? How does Matt contribute to Kira’s growth as a person and an artist?

4. Vandara is known throughout the village. “People whispered about her. She was known, and respected. Or feared.” (p. 15) How can someone who is feared be respected? Discuss whether the women of the village fear Vandara more than they respect her. How do you know that they don’t really agree with Vandara regarding Kira’s fate?

5. What qualities determine the difference between skill and art? Debate whether Katrina was a skilled weaver or an artist. At what point in the novel does Kira display the true qualities of an artist?

6. Why is the history of the people called the Ruin Song? The scenes on the Singer’s Robe represent Ruin, Rebuilding, Ruin Again, andRegrowth. How does this symbolize the history of our world?

7. Kira has always been told that beasts killed her father. When Kira tells Jamison that Annabella says there are no beasts, he replies, “She’s very old. It’s dangerous for her to speak that way.” (p. 128) Do you think Annabella knows the truth about Kira’s father? Discuss whether Jamison is responsible for Annabella’s death.

8. Matt is concerned that Kira might be held captive at the Council Edifice. How is it that he has a better understanding of the meaning of captivity than Kira does? Debate whether Kira and Thomas, the young carver, are indeed held captive even though they are allowed to roam. At what point does Kira realize that she isn’t really free?

9. What do Kira, Thomas, and Jo have in common? Interpret the following statement: “They were forcing the children to describe the future they wanted, not the one that could be.” (p. 212)

10. At the end of the novel, Matt brings Christopher, Kira’s blind father, to meet her. How does meeting her father alter Kira’s concept of her purpose in life and her contribution to her society’s future?


Prepared by Pat Scales, Director of Library Services, South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, Greenville

Customer Reviews
Average Rating 4
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  • Posted December 9, 2008

    more from this reviewer

    A very well told tale about the future

    Kira knows she has no one to care about her, not even her uncle, now that her beloved mother Katrina died. Her father died before she was born. Her mother barely kept Kira alive when their people wanted the newborn with the deformed leg left in the Field of Leaving. Kira knows that her neighbors hate her for her twisted leg, and though a recognized skilled weaver, she will probably be forced to leave the village.

    Kira becomes frightened when the Council of Guardians summons her. To her shock, they bestow on her the honor of caretaker of the sacred Singer¿s robe, a garment that depicts the history of the world. They need her skills to repair damaged segments of the ceremonial garb. Kira moves into the Council Edifice, a structure that survived the Ruin that destroyed a previously advanced technological world. However, her new haven soon feels like a prison as the Guardians tell Kira what to do. She begins to question society, leaving her to wonder what she can do to make the world a freer place.

    GATHERING BLUE is an intriguing post apocalyptic look at a society in which artistic creativity wars with the ¿common good¿. Middle school readers will enjoy the story line that depicts a young girl learning about responsibility while challenging the absolute dictatorial adult authority that rules her activities. Although Kira seems feeble at times for her sacred role, the ensemble is fully developed and provide insight into a society struggling to survive. Hopefully future books will give the audience deeper looks at why the Ruin occurred, but for now readers have this novel and Lois Lowry¿s previous tale, THE GIVER, set in the same world to enjoy.

    Harriet Klausner

    9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted January 29, 2010

    I Also Recommend:

    Amazing book. Beautifully written and one of my favorites.

    Pain. Thats all Kira feels. Pain from her crippled leg, pain from her mother's death, and pain from being deemed useless in a community where physical prowess means everything. Lois Lowry brings us yet another riveting tale about the future. But this time it is different. Where as The Giver shows a future where there is no color and no difference, Gathering Blue is a world full of color. It is about dealing with trying to find a place in a society that does not want you, that can't use you. This village appears to bring out the worst of human nature. The villages are full of greed and jealousy and hate, and they have no place, not in the village and not in their hearts, for the newly orphaned Kira, who can't do the hard labor in a village that demands for it. As Lois Lowry weaves the story of Kira, our young heroine, we are swept along on a journey of self-discovery. And it is one that will lead us to find the dark secretes that lurk in human nature. Gathering Blue is an unforgettable story, one that will leave you breathless and wanting for more.

    5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted June 16, 2011

    Awesome

    Im only eleven years old and it is one of my favorite books!!!

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted March 26, 2011

    Read the Giver now this

    I haven't finished it yet but it's AWESOME!!!

    2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 17, 2012

    Gathering Blue

    The only reason why i read this book is because for school i had to read a science fiction book. I hated the book at first it was boring and slow. In the middle of the book things speeded up. To tell you the truth this is the best book ever! And if you dont like it in the begining keep reading it gets better! THIS IS A MESSAGE TO THE AUTHOR OF GATHERING BLUE PLEASE MAKE A SECOND BOOK I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FURTURE!!!!!!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 13, 2011

    Pretty good

    You have to read abit and then it gets better like the first couple chapters you eill hate!

    1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted September 4, 2011

    If you liked the Giver...

    And especially if you have any interest in fiber craft, this is not to be missed.

    1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted July 3, 2011

    Read

    And to everyone else THIS IS NOT A TRILOGY!!!!! THEY R LL DIFFERENT BOOKS THEY R NIT RELATED TO EACH OTHER

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted May 25, 2011

    Good, But Where Was The Connection To The Giver??

    Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry, was a book about a young girl, named Kira, in a society slightly after the one we live in today. With her mother being dead, and her father taken by "beasts", she is now an orphan. She has to go up to the council of elders to see whether or not she should be put to death. With the ruling given as no, she has to now live as a servant for the community, threading and dyeing clothes. She meets new friends, and learns new talents. Eventually, she learns that there are secrets in this village, that even she doesn't know. I enjoyed the book, and the whole "I need to make blue" thing, but where was the connection to "The Giver"? That book was fantastic. This book was its "companion" and it was only average. The only connection I find is that they are both cities in the future that are nothing like our own. What would have been a good ending is if they showed us an epilouge saying something along the lines of, "20 years later... Kira and Thomas are married with a baby boy named Jonas..." I know that it wouldn't be THE Jonas, but it would still be a connection to "The Giver". Overall, this book was alright, but nowhere near as good as "The Giver".

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted May 23, 2011

    Love it!

    I loved this as much as The Giver....my favorite book. I couldnt put it down.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted April 19, 2011

    awsome

    this is a great book read the giver but it is not as good love it

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted April 14, 2011

    Wonderful

    Better than The Giver. Abosutely love this book.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted March 30, 2011

    I Also Recommend:

    loved it!!!!

    wow this is the second book i read by Lois Lowry and i loved it...its an amazing story, i also read the Giver, before this one and now im on to the next book in the trilogy. definitely recomend this book. just dont read it at night unless you have a lot of time to spare, :) i think i have found a new Favorite author..lol...the only thing i did not like is the end, it just leaves u wanting more but other than that i loved the book...

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted February 23, 2011

    ONE of the BEST SERIES ALIVE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    If u like/ love The Giver then u would love Gathering Blue !!!!!!! When ur done with those 2 go and read the Messenger !!!!!!!!!!!!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted January 26, 2011

    loved it

    it was soooo super boring at first but much later in the book secrets were revieled and you wanna know more as soon as it gets good. Give it a chance. changes your pov on life

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 23, 2011

    So Sad

    This book made me cry but is great

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted January 1, 2011

    Entertaining!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    This book was very entertaining and I never wanted to put it down

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 15, 2010

    LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS BOOK!

    My mom bought me this book and I thought it looked really stupid! But i stated reading and I started to love it! I enjoyed how a girl with such little strength accomplished so much! One thing is dont read it before you go to bed it is not a thing to read before you go to bed, I loved this book you have to read it (:

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted November 4, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    Who can gather the bluest of the blue in the world that is full of selfish greyness, dark envy, and greed?

    Who can gather the bluest of the blue in the world that is full of selfish greyness, dark envy, and greed?

    Kira, a crippled young weaver with an extraordinary skill at the art of embroidery, lives in a medieval-like, primitive, technology-free village full of casual cruelty and brutality. Her father was conveniently killed by "beasts", and her mother got sick and passed away, leaving Kira unprotected in this dark society. But instead of being cast to the beasts, the society's Council of Guardians installs her as a caretaker of the Singer's robe, a ceremonial garment embroidered with the scenes of human history and used at the annual Gathering.

    Many dark secrets and hidden agendas unravel before Kira as she works on restoration of Singer's robe and learns how to prepare dyes from her teacher Annabella. But the only color that her society has no knowledge of - is blue.

    The blue is the color Kira needs to restore the scenes of the past on the Singer's robe and to continue working on the scenes of the future. Kira needs to "gather blue" - gather all her courage to shape the future by following her art, trusting what it "tells" her in its mysterious ways, trusting into the better future for her people.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted September 15, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    I read this book last in the trilogy and somehow it made sense.

    Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry 2nd installment in her trilogy


    Kira, an orphan with a twisted leg, should had been killed, as per the custom of her village, but her mother, Katrina, saved her. Kira is spared after her mother's death because she is a gifted weaver. When Vandara, an evil woman tries to kill her after her mother dies, but the Council of Guardians tries their case and Kira is spared because of her ability. She is trained by an older woman, Annabella to make the colors and she is to repair the robe that is used every year at the Gathering.

    She is assigned a room at the Council edifice where she meets Thomas, a carver, who was also spared for his abilities. They become friends and discover that there is also a young woman, Jo, who has the gift of song and is also being trained by the council of guardians.

    While her talent keeps her alive and brings certain privileges, Kira soon realizes that she is surrounded by mysteries and secrets. With the help of Matt and his dog, Branch, she discovers a place where blue exists, the truth about
    Kira's father, and the existence of better worlds. Kira must make a decision of fleeing the world she lives or try to change it.

    I read this book last in the trilogy and somehow it made sense, because I knew who Christopher, Kira's father was. He was the Seer in Messenger and is the one who comes to get Kira to solve the problems in his world in the second installment of the trilogy. By knowing this, the book makes more sense.

    It is not as well written as the other two, but still it is a wonderful read.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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