Anne McCaffrey's books of Pern are addictive! Dragonsong is the first book in her Harper Hall Trilogy about Menolly of Half Circle Sea Hold, the first female Harper. We first met Menolly in the Dragonriders of Pern Trilogy, but in this series we learn much more about the memorable character.Half Circle Sea Hold is all about fishing. It is one of three holds on the ocean the divides the two large continents on Pern. Like the life of any fishing village, there is much work to be done, usually in schedule with the tides and weather. The only part of her daily life that makes Menolly happy is when she is with the Harper. She loves to sing, play music and make up songs. She would be a natural to take over for the old Harper if she was a boy. But there has never been a female Harper.
When the old Harper dies, she gets to fill in for him while his replacement is sent from Harper Hall. Her father, the Holder, does not want the new Harper to know that a girl filled in teaching the children, for fear of disgracing the Hold. When Menolly is no longer allowed to play music and sing, she decides she cannot live in the Hold any longer. She runs away. She does not know that the old Harper wrote to the Masterharper about her before he died. The Masterharper, being so impressed with her songs, sends searcher in every direction to look for her. If he can find her, she will be able to sing and play music to her heart's content. He would let a gift like hers go just because she is a girl.
But, will they find her? How will she survive on her own? Will she be able to live in a cave with the fire lizards?
McCaffrey, Anne. (1976). Dragonsong. New York: Bantam Books.
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