Greetings
all! I hope this installment of Lands Uncharted finds you safe and well. I am
holed up in my little nook of forest, where I have been quarantined since my
school’s Spring Break. The good news is all of this down time has given me
plenty of opportunities to indulge in reading of all kinds (both for
entertainment and for learning), which means I have a trio of stories to
recommend for this weekend’s reading (in no particular order).
Till
We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis
This
enchanting story retells the Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche from the
perspective of Psyche’s sister, Orual. As will all good retellings, it examines
the story from a perspective I never contemplated in the original. With the
original, I questioned Psyche’s faith in her husband. This version, however,
explores jealousy, betrayal, and loss, as well as the complexities of love.
Written in classic C.S. Lewis style and voice, reading this story left me
feeling nostalgic for other C.S. Lewis works and prompted me to look anew at my
understandings of the story’s themes. I highly recommend this book if you’re looking
to read something that will leave you thinking.
The
Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
Another
story about the power of love, this is the tale of Luna, a baby left as a
sacrifice to placate the witch who lives in the forest. That witch, however,
doesn’t know why the babies are left to die. She makes it her business to
collect them and adopt them out to loving homes in nearby villages. All of that
changes, though on the night she rescues Luna and gives the baby moonlight to
eat.
Peopled
with unique characters you’ll never forget and told in a way that leaves you
feeling wistful and nostalgic, this enchanting story will stay with you for a
long time. It is one of those stories that will become part of your personal
cannon, as it has mine.
Spinning
Silver by Naomi Novik
Miryem
is the daughter of a money lender who has such a soft heart that he hesitates
to collect on the debts owed him. Driven by the poverty her family lives in,
the disgust with which the people of her village regard her, and the failing
health of her mother, Miryem takes matters into her own hands. Hardening her
heart to call in the debts owed her father, Miryem soon reverses the bad
fortune of her family and gains a reputation for being able to spin silver into
gold. This gains the attention of a neighboring fey king, who comes looking for
Miryem and the riches she is said to follow her.
This
story is a fabulous retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale. Filled with
overtones of Jewish and Slavic cultures, the story world is richly developed
and unique. The characters are also exquisitely drawn, and the plot is robust,
unique, and memorable.
I’m
very excited to share these stories with you. I hope you get the chance to read
one, if not all, of them. If you do, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the
comments below.
