The Beginning

     I hope anyone reading this blog realizes that my brief summaries cannot capture Sage's quirky, clever, and witty form of writing, as she circulates perspectives with an admirable ease. I can only encourage you to read it and see for yourself the magic of her writing.

     The book begins with a Wizard called Silas Heap, trudging through the snow on his way home. It is the coldest night of the year. He has just received herbs and charms from Galen, the Physik woman who lives in the Forest. They are to protect his new baby boy, who had been born earlier that day. As Silas is walking, he suddenly senses a small heartbeat in the snow. He stops and listens. Underneath a bush just ahead of him, he sees a bundle wrapped tightly with blankets. He picks up the baby, and sees that she has dark violet eyes. He decides to take her home, thinking that one more child wouldn't make too much of difference. He continues to walk, but soon Marcia Overstrand, who is the Apprentice to the Extraordinary Wizard appears to him, telling him to pretend that the baby was born unto him. He accepts unconditionally. before he makes it home, however, he finds out that Marcia's mentor has been killed, making Marcia Extraordinary Wizard. His newborn at home that was born that day was their seventh son. His was to be named Septimus, as all seventh sons of seventh sons are named. However, when Silas makes it home, he arrives to a terrible site. The Midwife who is tending to Sarah, his wife, ran out of their small home with Septimus in hand. There is only one problem: he is dead. Silas walks in his house, and solemnly hands Sarah the baby, not knowing what else to say or do. She bursts into tears.
        
       They name the baby Jenna, and she settles nicely into the Heap household, as if she were meant to be there all along. Jenna becomes one of the family. The youngest son, Nicko, had been only two when Septimus had died and Jenna came to their family. The other brothers, who were not much older, soon forgot as well. But Silas and Sarah could never forget.