The Wednesday Review: North Child
“That’s the trouble with loving a wild thing: You’re always left watching the door.” – Edith Pattou, North Child.
I mean, it’s really just a wonderful story.
Essentially a mixture of the well known fairytale Beauty and the Beast and old Nordic legends, North Child tells the story of a young girl called Rose who decides to leave her family and live with the large and mysterious White Bear, who in return promises to stop her family from falling into poverty.
As simple as this story seems, there are a couple of elements within it that really make it stand out.
As an author, Pattou’s descriptive skills are flawless. From the description of the White Bear’s castle, to the loom on which Rose so lovingly creates beautiful things, you need no imagination to see the picture she paints.
Rose’s mother fervently believes that the direction a mother is facing when she gives birth has a direct influence on the personality of the child.For example, East-born children are good and obedient, while North-born children are meant to be wild, always running off to seek adventure.This superstition is present and constant throughout the book, and plays a great part in the book in how Rose views herself. It has a much larger part to play in the book than simply what I’ve described, and it really makes it memorable.
So why should you read It? There’s magical animals, there’s trolls, a smart and brave heroine who can create beautiful things on a loom, what else could you want?
It’s unusual, definitely, but that only adds to it’s charms.
If you’re a fan of romance and fantasy cleverly weaved together, or even if you just want to try something new, then I fully recommend this book. It’s easy to read, but oh boy, does it draw you in.