On Fortune's Wheel by Cynthia Voigt (August 25 - October 5, 2004)
Birle is a headstrong young girl, and the daughter of an innkeeper. To escape her life at the inn, she has promised to marry a huntsman named Muir. Though her parents see that her choice is poor, she takes longer to realize it. Her adventure begins when she hears a noise outside and rushes out to stop a thief. This thief is actually a young Lord named Orien, who is escaping from his family. He and Birle are swept off together to a new land, and are captured, separated, and enslaved. Birle is sold to a philosopher, and does the housework and helps the philosopher with his book on herbs and medicines. Meanwhile, Orien’s owners are not as kind, and Birle tries to plan their escape home.
The story takes place a generation after Voigt’s Jackaroo, a book
I read years ago. I did not realize that she had written other novels set
in “the Kingdom.” In all, these books include: 1) Jackaroo, 2)
On Fortune's Wheel, 3) The Wings of a Falcon, and 4) Elske. On
Fortune’s
Wheel is a quick read and a good young adult story, especially for girls,
as Birle grows up through her adventures into a strong, steady, and decisive
woman.
