The Sisters of the Winter Wood

The Sisters of the Winter Wood

2018 • 464 pages

Ratings14

Average rating3.1

15

Captivating and boldly imaginative, with a tale of sisterhood at its heart, Rena Rossner's debut fantasy invites you to enter a world filled with magic, folklore, and the dangers of the woods. "With luscious and hypnotic prose, Rena Rossner tells a gripping, powerful story of family, sisterhood, and two young women trying to find their way in the world." --Madeline Miller, author of The Song of Achilles and Circe In a remote village surrounded by vast 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 village, Liba and Laya discover a family secret passed down through generations. Faced with a magical heritage they never knew existed, the sisters realize the old fairy tales are true...and could save them all. Praise for The Sisters of the Winter Wood: Publishers Weekly: Best Book of 2018: SF/Fantasy/HorrorBookPage: Best Book of 2018: Science Fiction & Fantasy "Intricately crafted, gorgeously rendered...full of heart, history, and enchantment." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) "A richly detailed story of Jewish identity and sisterhood... emotionally charged, full of sharp historical detail and well-deployed Yiddish phrases...Ambitious and surprising." --Kirkus

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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!

January 26, 2021

A very fun story full of folklore and history. It's fine YA fairytale.

May 6, 2021

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.

February 5, 2021