The Sisters of the Winter Wood (Paperback)
Rena Rossner (author)Published: 20/06/2019
A slice of lyrical, evocative fantasy perfect for fans of Naomi Novik, Rossner’s story is set in a rural Ukraine fertile in fairy-tale and ancient superstition. Written in delicate, magical prose, Sisters of the Winter Wood is a literary feast for the senses.
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.
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
ISBN: 9780356511450
Number of pages: 480
Weight: 320 g
Dimensions: 198 x 126 x 20 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
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. I gulped it down! - Madeline Miller, award-winning author of SONG OF ACHILLES and CIRCE
Rena Rossner weaves together fairytales with a strong current of faith to create 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 incredible achievement - a rich literary fairytale . . . The kind of book that Neil Gaiman and Naomi Novik might have cooked up together, it's far too easy to get lost in the forests between the pages and disappear for days on end - Robert Dinsdale, author of THE TOYMAKERS
Mixes fairy tale, poetry, history, and heart to create an enchanting and mesmerizing tale of sisterly love. I adored this book! - Sarah Beth Durst, award-winning author of The Queens of Renthia series
A graceful, poetic, deeply moving novel . . . a simply gorgeous book in every sense - Louisa Morgan, author of A SECRET HISTORY OF WITCHES
[An] intricately crafted, gorgeously rendered debut . . . Full of heart, history, and enchantment - PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (starred review)
[A] fantastical coming-of-age story [for] fans of Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver and Katherine Arden's The Bear and the Nightingale - BOOKLIST
Rossner weaves 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
This dark fairy tale about sisterly love and Jewish strength and courage, set against the backdrop of a deep and deadly winter forest, will haunt me for a long time. A powerful, emotional debut - Julie C. Dao, author of FOREST OF A THOUSAND LANTERNS
An enthralling debut - Lavie Tidhar, World Fantasy Award-winning author
Fairy tales, folklore, and poetry make an intoxicating brew in The Sisters of the Winter Wood, a luminous debut by an exciting new talent - Ilana C. Myer
THE SISTERS OF THE WINTER WOOD is a deeply moving story of sisterly love, steeped in the rich tradition of Jewish folklore. Atmospheric and enchanting, it's sure to delight fans of Naomi Novik's Uprooted - Lana Popovic, author of WICKED LIKE WILDFIRE
Rossner's debut weaves a richly detailed story of Jewish identity and sisterhood . . . Ambitious and surprising - KIRKUS
A vivid, fascinating, excellently drawn story of the fragility of peace and the resilience of love that reaches back into history,out into folklore, and forward into the present - Pamela Dean
Inspired by historical events in the Ukraine/Moldova borderland of the author's ancestors, this debut novel blends weighty themes - intercultural tensions, family feuds - with Russian and Jewish shapeshifting folklore. The result is a story that's both charming and chilling - SFX
A beautiful tale of sisterly love and Jewish identity [with] haunting, otherworldly allure - BOOKPAGE
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“A wonderfully enchanting fairy tale.”
The Sisters of the Winter Wood got off to a truly amazing start, I love the way that the story switches between the sister’s points of view. Both Liba and Laya are really interesting and I also love the differences... More
“A Lyrical Fairytale”
Liba and Laya are sisters, growing up in the forests around Moldova and Ukraine. They have a peaceful life, balancing their religion with their everyday. But when their parents are called away, the sisters discover... More
“Beautiful Myth Retold”
What I loved about this book was the way each sister had a chapter written from her point of view. One in normal narrative the other more in a poetic prose form which meant I was turning the pages quicker and got... More
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