or banishment.įor lovers of language and protectors of words everywhere, this collection combines Patricia Forde's award-winning novel The List with its equally thrilling sequel The Last Word. When Letta meets a mysterious boy who somehow knows all the words that have been banned, she's faced with a dangerous choice: sit idly by and watch language slowly slip away or follow a stranger on a path to freedom. In another life, she was a primary school teacher and the artistic director of Galway Arts Festival. She has published five books for children and written for television. Never miss a Moment Catch up instantly on the best stories happening as they unfold. One day her master disappears and the leaders of Ark tell Letta she is the new Wordsmith and must shorten List to fewer and fewer words. Patricia Forde lives in Galway, in the west of Ireland. See the latest conversations about any topic instantly.

Words like freedom, music, and even pineapple tell her about a world she's never known. Everyone, that is, except Letta.Īs apprentice to the Wordsmith, Letta can read all the words that have ever existed. To make sure humans avoid the mistakes of their past and are able to survive, everyone in Ark must speak List, a language of only 500 words. Patricia Forde demonstrates the regulated speech of the Ark people, known as List speech, through verb-heavy sentences: Stop she cried. Her job is to help regulate the words used by Ark’s citizens. The city of Ark is the last safe place on Earth. As stated in the summary, Letta is the Ark’s apprentice wordsmith.

Patricia forde the last word