“The key to hell picks all locks”.  With this statement, the reader is off. Italy, 1350. The land has been decimated by the bubonic plague and pilgrimages to the city of Rome to find answers, to touch something bigger than oneself are not uncommon. Enter Boy. He is a lowly figure, literally a hunchback unaccustomed to attention unless of the threats from Cook or the taunting from Ox. Boy cares for the sheep and tries to remain invisible. We love him and his kindness immediately. Add in Secundus, the pilgrim, seeking the seven holy relics of St. Peter’s said to open the gates of heaven. Appearing one day with a pack containing items he cannot touch, Secundus simultaneously insults and saves Boy from bullying, then secures the services of Boy on his quest. Do we like Secundus? It remains to be seen. The adventure begins. With sharp, spare prose deftly handled by Murdock, the world of despair and blind faith is painted for the reader, at times realistic, at times bordering on magical. One can smell the stench left behind from cottages containing the rotting remains of victims of the plague and can feel the dust in one’s throat as Boy struggles to keep up with the swiftly moving pilgrim. And like all good quests, things are not all that they seem and questions must be asked. With twists and turns, the book pushes the reader forward just as Boy is propelled by things beyond his control. There are startling revelations and a touch of the holy as Boy learns who he is and what he can do. And in the end? A return home, be it heaven, hell, or somewhere in between. The design of the book beautifully complements the story with Schoenherr’s wood cuts and thick, rough-cut pages.  Readers who enjoyed Adam Gidwitz’s The Inquisitor’s Tale will enjoy this beguiling story.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth