Publisher's Weekly Review
Hugo Award winner Clarke (Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell) enchants with this bite-size Christmassy fairy tale. Readers meet sisters Isolde and Merowdis Scot on a snowy sleigh ride with Merowdis's two dogs and one pet pig (to say nothing of the cats, birds, ferret, and other wild creatures waiting for her at home). Merowdis, whom Isolde believes to be a saint due to her inability to comprehend the difference between animals and people, is misunderstood by the rest of the family and discouraged from visiting the nearby woods, but Isolde is happy to help her and her pets slip away on a nature walk. The trees show Merowdis a vision of herself as a mother to a wriggling bear cub, a destiny she happily embraces, despite knowing it will tear her from the human world. Sawdon's whimsical illustrations add charm, and a fascinating endnote from Clarke reveals her thought process while writing: "Snow always seems to me to signal a quietening of the spirit, a different sort of consciousness. And then obviously I added a pig, because there ought to be more pigs in books." The juxtaposition of thoughtful and sometimes unsettling atmospherics with quirky enjoyment delights. This is an ideal stocking stuffer. (Oct.)
Library Journal Review
Clarke, the Hugo Award-winning author of the beloved Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories, and Piranesi, which won the Women's Prize for Fiction, returns with a short story set in the world of Jonathan Strange. It features Merowdis Scot, who finds herself at a crossroad between desire and magical possibility. The story is brief, but what Clarke does well--conjure mood through evocative language and story suggestion--is on rich display. Highly atmospheric, this winter tale is set in a wood and navigates the line between a Grimms' fairy tale and a feminist manifesto. Talking animals as well as a sentient tree all play a role, as Merowdis decides what she wants and somehow makes it so. The story is illustrated with pen and ink drawings and specially designed text, giving the entire package the feeling of a manuscript found in a castle on the edge of some wild moor. Don't miss Clarke's note at the end. VERDICT Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell nods towards Jane Austen, but this short story leans towards the Brontës. Clarke's many fans will not be disappointed, other than in the story's brevity.--Neal Wyatt
