SuitabookThe Truth-Teller's tale
Sharon Shinn
- Reading
- If the themes feel relevant, read alongside the young person and pause after revelations or difficult choices. Discuss whose information belongs to whom, rather than treating truth-telling or secrecy as automatically right.
- Themes
- Truth and confidentiality: Eleda is a Truth-Teller who cannot lie when directly questioned, while Adele is a Safe-Keeper who must not reveal confidences. The book’s stance on this remains unclear.
- Choice and marriage pressure: Roelynn’s wealthy merchant father is determined to marry her to the prince, while she secretly falls in love with the visiting apprentice. The conflict clearly places romantic feeling against family and status expectations, but the book’s judgement of those expectations and the outcome remain unclear.
- Worth knowing
- Notice the contrast between Eleda’s inability to lie and Adele’s duty to keep confidences. Roelynn’s father also expects her to marry into a powerful family, so questions of consent and choice may merit attention.