Summary
Drawing on Grimm's Rose Red and Snow White, this young adult novel/fairy tale is the story of Liga Longfield, sexually abused and pregnant by her father, who finds herself in a village that is similar to the real one, but with no violence or cruelty. Here, she and her children can be protected from the brutality that she was forced to deal with. She knows, however, that someday her children will have to encounter the real world.
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Critique
Similar to a folktale and told in dialect, this was an amazing book; brutal, yes, but tender and perceptive also. It deals with violence against women and the pull of protecting your children vs. allowing them to explore life and all its problems. It also deals with sexuality and love, humanity and the complexity of life. It is rich in characters: there are witches, men who turn into bears, dwarves and townspeople, both good and bad. Due to the issues that it deals with, though not graphically, this book is more appropriate for older teens and adults. Highly recommended.
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