Ursula Le Guin was born in Berkeley, California, in 1929. Her parents were famous anthropologists (people who study how human beings live). When she grew old enough, Ursula traveled east to Radcliffe College and later got a graduate degree from Columbia University in New York. She got married in Paris, France, but returned to the West Coast of the United States to live in Portland, Oregon for the rest of her life.
Mrs. Le Guin has written a wide variety of books. As her webpage says, she "writes both poetry and prose, and in various modes including realistic fiction, science fiction, fantasy, young children's books, books for young adults, screenplays, essays, verbal texts for musicians, and voicetexts. She has published seven books of poetry, twenty-two novels, over a hundred short stories (collected in eleven volumes), four collections of essays, twelve books for children, and four volumes of translation. Few American writers have done work of such high quality in so many forms." www.ursulakleguin.com
But it is the six Books of Earthsea that have been in print for over forty years that have made her most famous. In Earthsea, she created a truly unique and fascinating world that has enchanted readers for a very long time.
Ruth Robbins' woodcut for A Wizard of Earthsea
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin. The first book of six in the Books of Earthsea series.
On the Isle of Gont, in the northern reaches of the Earthsea Archipelago, a boy named Duny sulks over his chores as a blacksmith's apprentice. Duny has ambitions, and takes every opportunity he can to learn the ways of magic from his ageing aunt. He gets a chance to show his magic skill when his town is attacked by a band of marauders. Duny raises a fog that befuddles the warriors and leads them away from the town. The local mage, Ogion, recognizes Duny's talent and convinces his father to let Ogion train Duny. Ogion begins by giving Duny his "true name", Ged, a name he must keep secret from all but his closest friends. Knowing a person's true name gives people power over the person, and Ged is honored to be given the name.
But the training to become a mage is nearly as tedious for Ged as becoming a blacksmith. He is impatient to learn all he can as quickly as he can: there are young girls to impress, there are people he wants to prove himself to. When Ogion leaves Ged alone with some sacred magical texts, Ged looses a shadow-spirit from the underworld that attacks and nearly kills him, leaving him with a scar on his cheek. Ogion returns in time to save Ged, but warns him that the spirit has now been set free in the world and will eventually try to attack Ged again. Ogion is impressed with the power that Ged displayed in summoning the spirit. He realizes that Ged must be trained in the School of Roke, where the Archmage of Earthsea lives. It is the only way that Ged will be prepared when he must once again face the shadow-spirit that has been freed.
Ged boards a ship that will carry him to Roke Island, to the Archmage, and to a destiny that awaits him as he must search out the shadow-spirit and send it back to the underworld. If he fails, all of Earthsea will suffer.
The Isle of Gont
Ged travels to the School of Roke
Sparrowhawk in flight