Back to the Bright Before by Katherin Nolte

Back to the Bright Before is a touching tale that mixes medieval imagery with a contemporary story of guilt and redemption.

Back to the Bright Before by Katherin Nolte. Random House, 2023, 200 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10

Recommended for: ages 6-12 as a read-aloud, 10-15 for independent readers

Pet (Perpetua) has a mother with a green thumb, a dad who creates magical sculpture with a chainsaw, and an adorable little brother named Simon. Life was simple but good, until her dad fell off the ladder and tore his shoulder. Pet saw it, but there’s more: “So, see, I’m proud—and when you’re proud and you make a giant mistake, you don’t want anyone to know. When you’re proud, failure is the bitterest fruit you can bite.” Her bitter failure is that she caused the accident by distracting Daddy when he was up on the ladder. He turned his head, the wind whipped, the ladder went down.

Now Daddy is unable to work and stays in his room staring at the walls. Mama has become sharp and drawn, and Simon says only one word. Pet bears the burden of guilt, and the only way to shed that burden is to find some way to get rich so Daddy can get the surgery that might fix his shoulder. Then an answer appears: a rumor of treasure hidden in the nearby abbey, and the gift of a metal detector to help find it. With only the barest outline of a plan, Pet and Simon set out with a borrowed chicken and a stolen pony to recover the treasure. But someone else is looking for it too, and he’s very dangerous.

Pet is a winsome narrator, and the story of her quest is brightened with quirky observations and humorous touches. The world she inhabits, though touched with tragedy and genuine peril, still shines with goodness and grace. Her search for treasure is a quest to expiate guilt, like Christian’s in Pilgrim’s Progress, though the Christian message is muted. Catholic images predominate in the people she meets, some of which may be obscure to Protestants. We can all relate to the beauty of creation and a benevolent creator who provides help–sometimes miraculous help–in times of trouble. Elements of fantasy thread the story all the way through to a happy ending, when we can rejoice with those who rejoice.

Consideration:

• The villain of the piece is genuinely scary and may be too much for younger, more sensitive readers.

Overall Rating: 4.5 (out of 5)

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

Read more about our ratings here.

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Reviews: The Book of Boy and The Inquisitor’s Tale are two more quest stories featuring Catholic imagery, both set in the middle ages.

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