North Child

Edith Pattou

Average Rating 8/10 (1 Review)

A beguiling epic of magic, love, loss and betrayal based on the traditional fairytale East of the Sun, West of the Moon.

Rose was born into the world facing north, and as a north child, superstition says that she will be a wanderer, travelling far from home. This prophecy is fulfilled when she is taken on the back of a white bear to a mysterious empty castle, where a silent stranger appears to her night after night. When her curiosity overcomes her, she loses her heart, and must journey to a land east of the sun and west of the moon to reclaim it.

Edith Pattou is the author of two highly acclaimed fantasy novels in the US, the first in the Songs of Eirren series: Hero’s Song, an International Reading Association Young Adult’s Choice, and Fire Arrow, a Booklist Top Ten Fantasy Novel of the Year.

Shortlisted for the Ottakar’s Children’s Book Prize 2006

Review by Helen (310107) Rating (8/10)

Review by Helen
Rating 8/10
This story is a retelling of a traditional Norwegian fairytale, East of the Sun and West of the Moon. This book is set out rather interestingly as it is told through the voices of its main characters, all of which have different personalities styles of writing and speaking, so you really feel like there are several different people talking from their point of view.

The story starts with a superstitious mother thinking that what direction you were born in affects your personality and your life. The north child is supposed to be wandering, wild and ill behaved. So when she has a north born child she tries to cover it up as she was also told by a skjebne-soke that if she has a north born child she will die buried under ice and snow. So this worries the mother greatly. This is just the start of the adventure as they are suffering hardship a white bear appears and promises to make everything better again if he can take the youngest daughter, the north born. After that it is a story of friendship, loyalty, betrayal and love.

It is a rich and rewarding read, well-researched and fascinating in its insights into cartography, Viking ships and Inuit life, all of which play an essential part in Rose's journey. The only problem I have with this story is that the last part, after what happens to all the characters after the big adventure, seems a bit rushed, and doesn’t flow as well as the rest of the story. It just feels tacked on the end like it’s not that important. But overall the story had me hooked through the whole adventure, the story having a flavour almost like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, definitely a good read.
Helen (31st January 2007)