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Bracken Trilogy #3
The Two Collars
Krea is seven years old and a slave. With a ragged troupe of tumblers and jugglers, she travels from town to town in Folger, now a part of the kingdom of Bracken. Every day of the year she is walking or working, and she is always lonely. Then, as winter takes hold of Folger, the troupe realizes that an old woman is haunting their footsteps, and that she has her eye on Krea.
Who is the old woman, and what can she want? Krea's companions argue over whether she is a robber or an assassin. Neither idea sounds very pleasant to the slave girl, who is terribly afraid of being noticed by anybody at all, let alone a robber or an assassin.
Meanwhile, war is brewing in the kingdom of Bracken. And Krea, after meeting the aged woman herself, soon realizes that somehow she is involved in the conflict between Folger and the island country of Bracken. For Krea, a whole new world opens up: a world of comfort, companionship, and excitement spiced with danger. As she gains freedom from the collar of a slave, she learns that there is yet another collar that she must wear.
164 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1988
4 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
About the author
Jeri Massi
99 books101 followersJeri Massi is the author of the Peabody Adventures, the Bracken Series, the Peabody High Mysteries (SF), and more
A passionate fan of classic Doctor Who, Jeri Massi has been regaling fans with space opera, SF mystery, and forensic procedurals for more than 30 years. A martial arts master in Tae Kwon Do Chung Do Kwan, with a degree in Electrical Engineering Technology, Jeri further perfected her grasp of science and engineering by working in pharmaceutical research and validation for 20 years.
She has published short stories on the web, in fanzines, and in reading anthologies for large publishing houses before choosing Indy writing. Her novel, Valkyries, published by Moody Press, was nominated for a national book award. Jeri's SF relies on suspense, some horror, comedy, and vivid, relatable characters.
You can track her booklist, adventures with cancer, and articles on great books on her Substack page.
https://jerimassi.substack.com
A passionate fan of classic Doctor Who, Jeri Massi has been regaling fans with space opera, SF mystery, and forensic procedurals for more than 30 years. A martial arts master in Tae Kwon Do Chung Do Kwan, with a degree in Electrical Engineering Technology, Jeri further perfected her grasp of science and engineering by working in pharmaceutical research and validation for 20 years.
She has published short stories on the web, in fanzines, and in reading anthologies for large publishing houses before choosing Indy writing. Her novel, Valkyries, published by Moody Press, was nominated for a national book award. Jeri's SF relies on suspense, some horror, comedy, and vivid, relatable characters.
You can track her booklist, adventures with cancer, and articles on great books on her Substack page.
https://jerimassi.substack.com
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 7, 2017
I loved this series as a kid but didn't really remember the details. Kids books have changed! Or at least, adult sensibilities about what is appropriate for kids books have changed.
The protagonist in this book is a child slave. We don't know her origin story, but we do know she was sold as a slave to work in a mine when she was very young. By the time she was 6 or 7 she had been purchased by a street performer and traveled with the troupe as a juggler. She is purchased and set free but continues to think of herself as a slave throughout the book and the story is centered on the inner transformation she grows in her understanding of what it means to be free. It is a beautiful story, but most of the symbolism was lost on me as a child. As a parent, I was a bit taken aback by the presence of kids being beaten by cruel slave masters and as well as death. Yet, my 9-year-old handled it and I think my own generation tends to err on the side of protecting our children too much from some of life's harsher realities. The truth is that children all over the world today live as slaves, beaten and abused for all manner of despicable purposes and we in upper-middle-class America protect our own children from even knowing such atrocities exist. A book like this is helpful, I think, as it deals with injustice in a fictional and age-appropriate way and also has a redemptive, though bittersweet resolution.
The protagonist in this book is a child slave. We don't know her origin story, but we do know she was sold as a slave to work in a mine when she was very young. By the time she was 6 or 7 she had been purchased by a street performer and traveled with the troupe as a juggler. She is purchased and set free but continues to think of herself as a slave throughout the book and the story is centered on the inner transformation she grows in her understanding of what it means to be free. It is a beautiful story, but most of the symbolism was lost on me as a child. As a parent, I was a bit taken aback by the presence of kids being beaten by cruel slave masters and as well as death. Yet, my 9-year-old handled it and I think my own generation tends to err on the side of protecting our children too much from some of life's harsher realities. The truth is that children all over the world today live as slaves, beaten and abused for all manner of despicable purposes and we in upper-middle-class America protect our own children from even knowing such atrocities exist. A book like this is helpful, I think, as it deals with injustice in a fictional and age-appropriate way and also has a redemptive, though bittersweet resolution.
January 21, 2010
This was one of my favorite books as a young girl. I must've checked it out of the school library 10 times in the course of a year. I loved the whole trilogy, but this is the one I picked up first so it's remained my favorite.
September 1, 2020
To be clear, this third and last book in the Bracken Trilogy is quite different from the first two books in the series, but there is a reason for the change. It can throw a reader off at first, but it is a slowly forming tapestry of words, that eventually form into a most exquisite masterpiece to end the series.
It seems to bring together the loose strings, especially, of the one constant character in all three books: The woman in gray. While the other books concentrate on a perspective of the woman in gray taken from the eyes of royalty. This one is from the perspective of one rescued and cared for by her.
There is such beauty that emanates through the love woven between the woman and her ward, and their adventures in learning skills, to trust, to be truthful but dependable, and in the journey of maturing and finding purpose in what appears to be hopelessness and being patient through long waiting for good things to come.
Lessons, as in the other two books, are scattered throughout, as well as some practical knowledge beneficial to, and considered life skills, for any young reader.
I cannot say it enough, thirty years of waiting has brought me together again with these book-friends, and just as these characters and stories blessed me in my childhood, they blessed me all over again in these days. How grateful I am.
I highly recommend this series!!!
It seems to bring together the loose strings, especially, of the one constant character in all three books: The woman in gray. While the other books concentrate on a perspective of the woman in gray taken from the eyes of royalty. This one is from the perspective of one rescued and cared for by her.
There is such beauty that emanates through the love woven between the woman and her ward, and their adventures in learning skills, to trust, to be truthful but dependable, and in the journey of maturing and finding purpose in what appears to be hopelessness and being patient through long waiting for good things to come.
Lessons, as in the other two books, are scattered throughout, as well as some practical knowledge beneficial to, and considered life skills, for any young reader.
I cannot say it enough, thirty years of waiting has brought me together again with these book-friends, and just as these characters and stories blessed me in my childhood, they blessed me all over again in these days. How grateful I am.
I highly recommend this series!!!
October 20, 2020
I wanted more! This story pulls you inside of itself through incredible writing, memorable characters, and a fantastic plot. The last paragraph of this book is perfection; bittersweet, emotional, and full of hope and promise. And not only is The Two Collars an enjoyable, captivating story, it is an allegorical masterpiece to those who follow Jesus. There is a new level of relatable, convicting parallels that I don't know that I've experienced in a work of fiction before. No allegory is perfect, but this story is chock-full of well-written, theologically sound analogies that I deeply apreciated. For comparison, I would say that The Chronicles of Narnia has much more world-building than this trilogy, but I would say that the allegories here are more specific. Narnia is still and will always be a symbolic treasure trove, but the parallels in this book, I felt, seemed to dig a little deeper. Just my opinion :)
May 31, 2023
The final book in the Bracken trilogy is both the darkest and the best. When I first read these books around the age of 10, I didn't like sad stories, and this book stunned me because although it was SO sad, I still loved it.
The first two books of this series were about princesses. THE TWO COLLARS is about a child slave who has been abused all her life when she's bought by the wise woman who is the central figure of the whole trilogy, and raised to be her successor. Meanwhile, unspecified years after the books of the first trilogy, a war is brewing between the king and his cousin - and age is finally catching up with the wise woman.
As in the first two books of the series, there's a subtle stand of allegory running through the story, although it becomes a little more overt here - Krea's relationship with her Mistress, adopted out of slavery to be raised into maturity as her daughter is clearly intended to be an image of the believer's relationship with God. Indeed, the allegory has that inartistic characteristic, of only being understandable if you take the wise woman as being God. Krea's dependence on the old woman would be pretty troubling in any relationship between humans. Nevertheless, I give it all a pass, not just because of how novel and delightful it is to see an allegory where God is represented as a woman rather than as a man or an animal, but also because the symbolism is so poignant and for much of the story, so subtle. Even as an adult, I was tearing up throughout this book. By this time, Massi has learned how to shred your feelings with a few turns of phrase.
The main theme of the book has to do with authority. Where does authority come from? Krea's old master uses power, fear, and manipulation to control her. The kingdom of Bracken appeals to the Unchangeable Law carved on the foundations of the king's castle. And the old woman tells Krea that she must learn to serve others not from fear, but from love, and that she will attain to the wise woman's royal status not through high birth, but service. All this is of course straight from the Gospels, and has become additionally meaningful to me of recent years. To go back and find it all laid out in a favourite book from my childhood was pretty special.
Resonant, heartbreaking, and despite its flaws full of what CS Lewis called sehnsucht, THE TWO COLLARS pulls the Bracken trilogy beyond itself to a new level. It's been years since I last read these, but they have weathered nostalgia well.
The first two books of this series were about princesses. THE TWO COLLARS is about a child slave who has been abused all her life when she's bought by the wise woman who is the central figure of the whole trilogy, and raised to be her successor. Meanwhile, unspecified years after the books of the first trilogy, a war is brewing between the king and his cousin - and age is finally catching up with the wise woman.
As in the first two books of the series, there's a subtle stand of allegory running through the story, although it becomes a little more overt here - Krea's relationship with her Mistress, adopted out of slavery to be raised into maturity as her daughter is clearly intended to be an image of the believer's relationship with God. Indeed, the allegory has that inartistic characteristic, of only being understandable if you take the wise woman as being God. Krea's dependence on the old woman would be pretty troubling in any relationship between humans. Nevertheless, I give it all a pass, not just because of how novel and delightful it is to see an allegory where God is represented as a woman rather than as a man or an animal, but also because the symbolism is so poignant and for much of the story, so subtle. Even as an adult, I was tearing up throughout this book. By this time, Massi has learned how to shred your feelings with a few turns of phrase.
The main theme of the book has to do with authority. Where does authority come from? Krea's old master uses power, fear, and manipulation to control her. The kingdom of Bracken appeals to the Unchangeable Law carved on the foundations of the king's castle. And the old woman tells Krea that she must learn to serve others not from fear, but from love, and that she will attain to the wise woman's royal status not through high birth, but service. All this is of course straight from the Gospels, and has become additionally meaningful to me of recent years. To go back and find it all laid out in a favourite book from my childhood was pretty special.
Resonant, heartbreaking, and despite its flaws full of what CS Lewis called sehnsucht, THE TWO COLLARS pulls the Bracken trilogy beyond itself to a new level. It's been years since I last read these, but they have weathered nostalgia well.
September 5, 2023
5 stars for younger audiences.
May 3, 2025
I loved reading this one again! The story was very suspenseful.
June 14, 2017
As a young teen, I wasn't blown away by this story (read: it didn't feature Herron). But having reread it now....
Wow. Just... wow.
The symbolism is deep and runs throughout the entire narrative, without being clunky, slapped on, or hijacking the story. The heroines are incredible role models. And the focus on service sings loudly in a culture that is obsessed with freedom and will. If I ever have a daughter, I may just name her "Krea".
Just a note, though: if you can, get the older, original editions of the trilogy. The newer, blue and yellow versions are riddled with punctuation mistakes and don't have the beautiful illustrations.
Wow. Just... wow.
The symbolism is deep and runs throughout the entire narrative, without being clunky, slapped on, or hijacking the story. The heroines are incredible role models. And the focus on service sings loudly in a culture that is obsessed with freedom and will. If I ever have a daughter, I may just name her "Krea".
Just a note, though: if you can, get the older, original editions of the trilogy. The newer, blue and yellow versions are riddled with punctuation mistakes and don't have the beautiful illustrations.
February 6, 2017
Recently reread and bought for a girlfriend's daughter. Just as good as I remember.
Love the goodness of the healer, her wisdom and warmth. Often forget I'm loved, just like Krea. I am always on edge and frightened with Krea as she questions and relearns how much the wise woman loves and is committed to her. Wonderful gospel themes in a compelling and adventurous story of a troubled kingdom.
Love the goodness of the healer, her wisdom and warmth. Often forget I'm loved, just like Krea. I am always on edge and frightened with Krea as she questions and relearns how much the wise woman loves and is committed to her. Wonderful gospel themes in a compelling and adventurous story of a troubled kingdom.
February 16, 2011
This trilogy was my favorite to read growing up, even as a teenager. I don't remember how many times I have re-read these three books.
March 28, 2012
The Bracken Trilogy was very enjoyable, as with all of Jeri Massi's books.
July 11, 2013
A beautiful ending to a lovely and heartwarming trilogy. Lots of good lessons for children.
October 25, 2015
I'm so glad I revisited this book. The tenderness and love expressed by The Wise Woman touched my heart so much more as an adult than it did as a child. I would read this book again.
June 21, 2024
Very sweet and simple story of a slave…with two kinds of collars. I also thought it was a good and touching way to end the series.
August 7, 2015
I loved this one!!!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews