Black Bird, Blue Road by Sofiya Pasternack

Black Bird, Blue Road is set in a neglected period of world history and explores the subject of death through a lens of Jewish mythology.

Black Bird, Blue Road by Sofia Pasternack. HarperCollins (Versify), 2022, 301 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12

Recommended for: ages 10-15

A desperate plan

Ziva has no reason to celebrate her 12^th birthday, unless her twin brother Pesah can celebrate it with her. But Pesah has been separated from the family ever since Uncle Sabriel declared that his leprosy could infect everyone who comes near him. Ziva isn’t separating—in fact, she has taken on herself the responsibility of changing her brother’s bandages, and even cutting off dead fingers (five so far). The two have heard rumors that physicians in Constantinople may have a cure, and when Ziva overhears a conversation about sending Pesah to a leper colony, she makes a desperate break for the south with her brother and a stolen wagon.

It’s a crazy plan, and certain to go awry, especially with bandits along the route. They encounter two of these on the very first night, along with a boy who appears to be their unwilling servant. He’s more than a servant—Almas is actually a half-angel bound by a spell which he convinces Ziva to help him break. Almas has also heard of a city called Luz, where the Angel of Death is not allowed. That’s the place for them, Ziva decides, and nothing will deter her.

Can you bargain with death?

The weighty themes suggested in the first chapters are not slighted in the last: death is a reality for all and may not be the ultimate tragedy. Jewish theology and mythology don’t have an ultimate answer for the quandary of death but have established a kind of detente with it that leaves the final answers to Hashem. Though Christians will disagree with a discussion in the middle of the story that seems to equate the God of the Jews with other religious traditions (“There are many paths to the heavens”), the closing chapters are touching and beautiful. The overall color is not somber and leaves room for humor, but much more room for discussion.

Overall Rating: 4.25 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 3.75
• Artistic/literary value: 4.5

Read more about our ratings here.                 

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Reviews: A major character in the alternative-history novel Sweep draws on Jewish traditions of the “golem.” And for a lighter take on Jewish mythology, see our reviews of the Hereville graphic novels: How Mirka Got Her Swordhttps://redeemedreader.com/2011/05/nice-jewish-girls/ and How Mirka Met a Meteorite.
• Resource: Death is a difficult subject to address, especially with younger children. Emily recommended five helpful picture books, as well as some tongue-in-cheek suggestions. For teens, see our reviews of Nightmare City and Everything Breaks.
• Reflection: Finally, thoughts on death as it relates to Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to Terebithia.

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