Alphabet of Dreams by Susan Fletcher is a YA novel that is set in the time of the birth of Jesus. In ancient Persia a girl called Mitra and her younger brother, Babak, children of a rebellious noble, have disguised themselves as beggars as the King is searching for them in order to wipe out the whole family. Babak , unfortunately, calls attention to them by experiencing prophetic dreams that have people vying for his services. Mitra disguises herself as a boy, and she and Babak join the caravan of the three magi on a long and arduous trip to Bethlehem.

The magi have studied the stars and know that something of great importance is about to occur, but Babak’s dreams are able to help them put the pieces into place. As the wise men travel to Bethlehem to seek out the birth of this unknown king, Babak is often called upon for his dreams. These dreams take a terrible toil on Babak and Mitra can see that he is going to die unless she finds a place of safety for him.

Although the story of the birth of Christ is an important element of the book, Mitra is the main character and her coming-of-age is front and centre as she learns to understand her place in the world, how she can protect her younger brother, and, who she and her brother can turn to in order to finally find the home that they seek. There are reasons for it but Mitra isn’t the most likeable character as she can be very stubborn and selfish but her love and desire to protect her younger brother is strong. I found this an interesting and touching story and it was obvious that the author had done her research. I appreciated the fact that she clarified much of the history and geography in her notes at the end of the book. The Alphabet of Dreams was a solid historical story aimed at a younger audience but still enjoyable to adults. ( )

I’m a sucker for well-known stories re-told from a different perspective, Wicked by Gregory Maguire being one of my favorites along with books by Donna Jo Napoli, so Fletcher’s novel caught my attention right away. As a former Catholic school girl, I know the New Testament story of the Three Magi pretty well, but Fletcher tells the story from the perspective of a Persian princess reduced to living in caves and stealing food after her family is slaughtered by her father’s enemies. Mitra discovers quite by accident that her little brother, Babek, can dream other people’s dreams, a skill that brings him to the attention of the Magus Melchior. Mitra and Babek journey to Bethlehem with Melchior and two other Magi to witness the birth of Christ, enduring all sorts of hardships and learning a thing or two about family in the process. I really liked Mitra — as my grandmother used to day, she has pluck! –and I found Babek’s gift fascinating and a little scary. The characters are well-drawn, especially the three Magi and the bodyguard who keeps Mitra and Babek safe. A lovely story all around… ( )

I thought it was a little odd. ( )

Fourteen-year-old Mitra, of royal Persion lineage, and her five-year-old brother Babak, whose dreams foretell the future, flee for their lives in the company of the magus Melchior and two other Zoroastrian priests, traveling through Persia as they follow star signs leading to a newly-born king in Bethlehem. I somewhat enjoyed this book, although it was not my favorite. I thought that the overall plot was boring....

beautifully written. wonderful detail of Persia at the time... sympathetic characters and surprisingly easy to identify with. I was mesmerized ( )