Synopsis (from Goodreads)
Pages: 464
Publisher: Orbit
Released: 25th of September 2018
A magical tale of secrets, family ties and fairy tales weaving through history.
Raised in a small village surrounded by vast forests, Liba and Laya have lived a peaceful sheltered life - even if they've heard of troubling times for Jews elsewhere. When their parents travel to visit their dying grandfather, the sisters are left behind in their home in the woods.
But before they leave, Liba discovers the secret that their Tati can transform into a bear, and their Mami into a swan. Perhaps, Liba realizes, the old fairy tales are true. She must guard this secret carefully, even from her beloved sister.
Soon a troupe of mysterious men appear in town and Laya falls under their spell-despite their mother's warning to be wary of strangers. And these are not the only dangers lurking in the woods...
The sisters will need each other if they are to become the women they need to be - and save their people from the dark forces that draw closer.
What I Have to Say
I took a long time to get into this book, which was a shame because it should have been one I really enjoyed. I feel like the story took a long time to really get started and then by the time I was enjoying it, it was over. I liked the fairy tale elements of it and the look at Jewish culture and the way that hatred and prejudice can so easily spread through small towns such as the one that Liba and Laya called their home.
I adored the ending though. It was powerful, magical and hopeful, despite the awful events that took place throughout the book. It would have been easy to end on a sad note, but I'm glad that Rossner chose to show her characters looking towards a future rather than looking back on a travesty.
I loved the languages used in the book as well, showing the coming together of the Jewish bear shapeshifter in the form of the dad and the Catholic swan shapeshifter of the mother. The conversion of the mother and her background with the swans is so central to the book, so it was nice to see this reflected in the phrases and words that she brought into the household.
I think this is a book I'd like to reread at some point. I'd like to see if I get into it more now that I know where it's heading.
My thanks go to Netgalley and Orbit for providing me with this copy for review.
