In the tradition of Lois Lowry's The Giver, Susan Butler's futuristic first novel tells the triumphant story of Leora's refusal to conform to the rigid rules set forth by a tyrannical government.

Leora has a gift, and a secret. She can see things no one else can, but can only draw them with her one webbed hand.

Several generations have passed since North America was struck by a meteor that changed life forever. Now, Leora lives safely locked inside the walls of Village Three. Only the guards and croptenders are allowed out, where the world is said to be undeveloped and dangerous. Leora's heard stories of the ferocious birmbas -- half bear, half gorilla -- that resulted from the meteor. Mutants cannot be trusted.

But Leora herself is considered a "defective" with her hidden hand and gift. When she risks her life to free a baby birmba, she finds the courage to escape beyond the tyrannical walls without knowing what she may find.

I bought this book at a fair knowing nothing about it or the author. Read it in two sittings, and while this book is obviously amateur in it's storytelling and charactization, the actual storyline is a good one. I stayed interested...and really that's good enough for me. I wouldn't recommend paying too much money to get this book but if you ever come across it it's worth the time.

I read this book my senior year in highschool. I took an American Literature course and we had to choose between five books. I liked the cover of this one so I chose it and did not realize what it exactly was going to be about. I loved it! One of the best books I have read. The author was very creative and wrote in a manner to which anyone could understand or relate to. It IS science fiction and my be witten differently than a novel, but it DOES NOT make it bad literature.
Would definately recommend!

'Long ago in the time of dinosaurs, a great tragedy struck the Earth, starting a new world of life. Now, the disaster had repeated itself and befallen the Earth once again. A government strives to dictate the few remaining establishments, feeding them lies to turn them against each other and prevent a rebellion. All the while, controlling the food supply to force the people into dependency, and terrifying the populace with frightening tales of the Birmbas: mutated man-eating gorilla/black bear creatures who terrorize the forests beyond the village walls.
But when Leora discovers a captured Birmba cub, and finds out they're not as 'horrible' as the corrupted government might like to believe, can she survive the jungle outside of civilization, reach safety with her Birmba friend, and keep hidden her secret, the illegal "defect" beneath her very own cloak? Will she find the answers she's been searching for, answers to the mysterious deaths of her father and older sister, many years past; answers to the strange inscribed locket she received as birthright; or even fathom the meaning of an island full of quite a diversity of young women, from all 15 villages, yet who share one, common goal: freedom?
Even more intriguingly, will the Hermit Thrush, a bird with a voice as sweet as a nightingale's, not heard since before the disaster, decades ago, ever sing again?
I LOVED this book, and would recommend its splendor to any reader, however young or old!! Those who love to wonder of might be will enjoy this mesmerizing tale!

This is a poorly written book. No explanations are given for why the great disaster caused a tyranny to arise nor are the tyrants, "The rulers", ever revealed as actual people . The reader doesn't know where they live or why they act as they do.
More disturbingly the book is a crude attempt at feminism of an out of date type. There is even a culminating section in which the noble brave women slaughter the evil stupid men.
There is an incompetent attempt to criticize racism but again not enough background. A quick reader might easily miss that Lex is a Native American.
I would not recommend this book for any age. I did not want to give it even one star and I consider myself to be a liberal.

I would not want any young person to read this with an uncritical eye.

I loved The Hermit Thrush Sings. I have read it so many times. I am waiting for a sequel. It should be a must -read for everyone. It reallys portrays courage, and wisdom.