Book Tour Review: Daughter of the Sea and the Sky by David Litwack

After centuries of religiously motivated war, the world has been split in two. Now the Blessed Lands are ruled by pure faith, while in the Republic, reason is the guiding light-two different realms, kept apart and at peace by a treaty and an ocean.

Children of the Republic, Helena and Jason were inseparable in their youth, until fate sent them down different paths. Grief and duty sidetracked Helena's plans, and Jason came to detest the hollowness of his ambitions.


These two damaged souls are reunited when a tiny boat from the Blessed Lands crashes onto the rocks near Helena's home after an impossible journey across the forbidden ocean. On board is a single passenger, a nine-year-old girl named Kailani, who calls herself The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky. A new and perilous purpose binds Jason and Helena together again, as they vow to protect the lost innocent from the wrath of the authorities, no matter the risk to their future and freedom.

But is the mysterious child simply a troubled little girl longing to return home? Or is she a powerful prophet sent to unravel the fabric of a godless Republic, as the outlaw leader of an illegal religious sect would have them believe? Whatever the answer, it will change them all forever... and perhaps their world as well.

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My Thoughts: A blogger friend of mine reviewed this book a few months ago and really liked it. I was eager to review this as well since I had high hopes. Luckily, this book did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the themes that it concentrated on and the world it was set on.

Daughter of the Sea and the Sky focused a lot on the importance of spirituality. It did not concentrate on a popular religion but more of a "pagan" style religion, yet the ideas of religion were still there: is there really a God? I found it very fascinating to read how these ideas/issues when it came to spirituality were brought forth from a nine-year-old, Kailani. She was a very wise little girl who made me wonder how much I put my believes in faith and how much to science/technology. What I liked best about this book was that it did not feel preachy.

Another aspect about the book that I enjoyed was the world building. Though it was not supposed to be a post-apocalyptic book, the setting was. It was interesting to learn how there was a religious war that separated the people. One side lived the religious "zealots" while the other side lived the godless people of the Republic. The laws about the groups intermingling were ludicrous yet believable. As I read, I kept wondering if these laws were going to get dismantled because of the little girl.

As much as I enjoyed the ideas of this book, I do admit that I had a hard time connecting with some of the characters. I really enjoyed Kailani's character because I was amazed on how smart and wise she was for her age. I did not care much for Helena and Jason, though. They seemed like great characters, but I was not a big fan of their little romance. Other than these characters, I enjoyed the rest of the book.

At the end, I was glad to still like this book even when I had high expectations. I was not disappointed. It made me wonder about my spirituality and I came to appreciate a new world. I look forward to reading more from this author. I rate it:

About the Author:

The urge to write first struck when working on a newsletter at a youth encampment in the woods of northern Maine. It may have been the night when lightning flashed at sunset followed by northern lights rippling after dark. Or maybe it was the newsletter's editor, a girl with eyes the color of the ocean. But he was inspired to write about the blurry line between reality and the fantastic .

Using two fingers and lots of white-out, he religiously typed five pages a day throughout college and well into his twenties. Then life intervened. He paused to raise two sons and pursue a career, in the process becoming a well-known entrepreneur in the software industry, founding several successful companies. When he found time again to daydream, the urge to write returned.

He's published three novels so far in this new stage of his life: There Comes a Prophet, Along the Watchtower, and the recently released The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky.

David and his wife split their time between Cape Cod, Florida and anywhere else that catches their fancy. He no longer limits himself to five pages a day and is thankful every keystroke for the invention of the word processor.

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