In
Children of the Province
, young Aella and her little brother Tom are unaware of the adventures and dangers that life has in store for them. They enter service at Hearthstone Castle - Aella as a kitchen maid and Tom as general labor. As the Kingdom of Vasalia is threatened by intrigue and civil war, their little world of Hearthstone Province - a small, insignificant backwater - is plunged into hardship and sacrifice.
In the midst of this tale of personal and moral growth, the children come to learn some of the secrets of Vasalia's history; they benefit from the library at Hearthstone Castle and the wisdom of others. As they wrestle with the complexities of real life - honor, foresight, love, sacrifice, death - Aella and Tom learn to recognize what is true, good, and beautiful.
, author Jason Rogers, a translator and educator based in Michigan, uses literary realism in the genre of fantasy fiction to deliver a harrowing - yet believable! - tale of adventure, personal growth, and morality through the lives of Aella and Tom. The book features the warm, rich, hand-drawn illustrations of local Michigan artist Glory Bell.