Messenger

　　為人送信，傳遞信息。這是他的工作。他以為，等到分派今生的真正名號時，「送信人」這個頭銜將會雀屏中選。他喜歡這個名字唸出來的聲音，更期待獲得這分殊榮。不過，今夜他並不是來送信或收信的……他是要去森林中的空地，他熟悉的老地方，就在茂密的松樹林後面……他需要一點點隱私，來思索他對自己的新發現：他必須找個隱密的地方，悄悄的測試一下，解決心中的恐懼，理解它所代表的含意。

　　麥迪剛來到村裡的時候，是個愛使詐、打架的小男孩，喜歡自稱為「強中之王」。在失明但有遠見的「先知」調教下，麥迪成為光明磊落的年輕人，往返奔波，替人送信。近來他所居住的村子發生了一些古怪的變化，原本歡迎外人並以此自豪的烏托邦社區，竟決定不再接納外來的難民。村中領袖委任麥迪，讓他穿越危險的大森林，向外傳遞邊界即將封閉的消息。在圍牆砌起之前，他還兼任另一項使命：說服先知在外執行任務的女兒綺拉，隨他一同返村團聚。可是，大森林已不再友善，麥迪必須冒險克服重重險阻才能完成任務，而他唯一的憑藉，只有剛剛發現卻還無法解釋或理解的獨特天賦。

　　《森林送信人》（Messenger）讓我們看見理想國的墮落與復活，再次驗證人類文明不斷滅亡與新生的歷史循環。大森林象徵人心，人心無私時，大森林欣欣向榮，萬物共生；人心變得自私時，大森林也將毀壞……

　　——中文書介摘錄自《森林送信人》，台灣東方出版

The third book in Lois Lowry’s Giver Quartet, which began with the bestselling and Newbery Medal-winning The Giver.

Trouble is brewing in Village. Once a utopian community that prided itself on welcoming strangers, Village will soon be cut off to all outsiders.

As one of the few able to traverse the forbidding Forest, Matty must deliver the message of Village’s closing and try to convince Seer’s daughter Kira to return with him before it’s too late. But Forest is now hostile to Matty as well. Now he must risk everything to fight his way through it, armed only with an emerging power he cannot yet explain or understand.

＂Told in simple, evocative prose, this companion to The Giver and Gathering Blue can stand on its own as a powerful tale of great beauty.＂ --Kirkus (starred review)

Messenger is the masterful third novel in Lois Lowry’s Giver Quartet, which includes The Giver, Gathering Blue, and Son.

Lois Lowry is the author of more than thirty books for children and young adults, including the New York Times best-selling Giver Quartet. She received Newbery Medals for two of her novels, Number the Stars and The Giver. To learn more about Lois Lowry, see her website at www.loislowry.com or follow her on Twitter @LoisLowryWriter.