The Sisters of the Winter Wood
Ratings10
Average rating2.8
15
Ratings10
Average rating2.8
'LUSCIOUS AND HYPNOTIC . . . A gripping, powerful story of family, sisterhood. I gulped it down! - Madeline Miller, author of Song of Achilles and Circe 'An incredible achievement - a rich literary fairy tale' Robert Dinsdale, author of The Toymakers Every family has a secret . . . and every secret tells a story. In a remote village surrounded by forests on the border of Moldova and Ukraine, sisters Liba and Laya have been raised on the honeyed scent of their Mami's babka and the low rumble of their Tati's prayers. But when a troupe of mysterious men arrives, Laya falls under their spell - despite their mother's warning to be wary of strangers. And this is not the only danger lurking in the woods. As dark forces close in on their small village, Liba and Laya discover a family secret passed down through generations. Faced with a magical heritage they never knew existed, the sisters realise the old fairy tales are true . . . and could save them all. Captivating and boldly imaginative, Rena Rossner's debut invites you to enter a magical world of secrets, family ties and fairy tales weaving through history. Perfect for fans of The Bear and the Nightingale, Uprooted and The Night Circus. 'A graceful, poetic, deeply moving novel . . . a simply gorgeous book in every sense' Louisa Morgan 'The kind of book that Neil Gaiman and Naomi Novik might have cooked up together' Robert Dinsdale 'A stunning tapestry of a story unlike anything I've ever read. Laya and Liba are going to stick with me for a long, long time' Sara Holland, author of Everless 'An elegant tapestry of the love between sisters, the value of faith and family, and knowing one's true friends in times of peril' J. Kathleen Cheney 'Full of heart, history and enchantment' Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Reviews with the most likes.
A beautiful story, weaving fairytale, history, and Jewish identity together so well. The writing was immersive and engaging and kept me wanting to read, like a good fairytale. Such a great debut!
Wasn't a fan :( I had high hopes, but unfortunately, I felt no connection to any of the characters and the majority of their decisions were absolutely random. Probably I would have enjoyed it more if it was shorter, with no verses, and with a less anti-climatic ending.
This book started as a retelling of Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market. It was set in the author's East European Jewish roots, and the story was woven into several Slavic and East European tales, legends, myths, and folklore. We get a sort of magical realist story of two sisters, whose father is a bear and whose mother is a swan. One of the daughters, the oldest, inherits the father's shape, and the youngest inherits the mother's shape. The parents must leave their daughters alone for some time, which in itself wouldn't be a problem, as they are almost 18 and 16, and they have friends and allies in the village close by. The problem arises when mysterious fruit sellers arrive at the village, and things start happening. The setting and how the author deals with it reminds me very much of [b:Small Favors 55835986 Small Favors Erin A. Craig https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1604853261l/55835986.SY75.jpg 76987783], but in this book, the siblings aren't warring. It is very much a coming-of-age story, and very much a story of love. One could take it as a YA romance novel, but I see it as much more than that. It is about families, the importance of love between spouses, siblings, generations, neighbors, and strangers, and of all kinds of love, not just erotic, romantic love. That is there, sure, but it's not the main focus. It is also a story of being oneself and loving oneself. The power of truth and openness. They also talk about the nasty things that happened in Europe to Jewish people. And... still happen in some form. Antisemitism and blood libel is alive and well even in today's world.
