Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey

Dragonsong is the first book of the Harper Hall Trilogy (Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, and Dragon Drums).  Menolly, the daughter of Half-Circle Sea Holder, Yanus, is a tall, gawky teenager.  Although she demonstrates outstanding musical talent her father is ashamed of her, because music and teaching are not proper roles for women.  When he allows her to become physically disabled (thereby destroying any chance she may have had with music) she runs away.  As she attempts to hide out from the searchers and the periodic threads which fall from the sky and burn all organic life, she discovers fire lizards, and saves some. During this time, the Harper Hall is frantically searching for the musical talent that is at Half-Circle, not knowing that they are really searching for a girl. When Menolly is saved from threadfall by dragons, she figures that the weyr (dragons' cave) is the place she should be because of her fire lizards (which resemble small dragons).  Harper Hall finally realizes that Menolly is the true musical talent and she is coaxed into realizing her greatest desire... living, eating and breathing  MUSIC!

This is such a good book that I have read it and Dragonsinger numerous times.  Anne McCaffrey does an excellent job of character building, even secondary characters have depth and touchableness.  Pern is a world inhabited by humans, very similar to us in thoughts and actions but different in many ways, from the indigenous creatures to the food humans eat.  Dragonsong is a book that you won't want to put down until you are finished and then you will want to immediately pick up and read Dragonsinger, which continues the story of Menolly. I wish Ms. McCaffrey would have continued the story of Menolly, but Dragon Drums takes one of the secondary characters and builds a story around him)  This reviewer gives Dragonsinger a rating of 8 out of 10 stars.