Publisher: 7th October 2020 by HarperCollins Australia
Pages: 230 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: fantasy, retelling
My Rating: 3 cups
Synopsis:
After brilliantly reimagining the worlds of Oz, Wonderland, Dickensian London, and the Nutcracker, the New York Times bestselling author of Wicked turns his unconventional genius to Hans Christian Andersen's "The Wild Swans," transforming this classic tale into an Italian-American girl's poignant coming-of-age story, set amid the magic of Christmas in 1960s New York.
Following her brother's death and her mother's emotional breakdown, Laura now lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, in a lonely townhouse she shares with her old-world, strict, often querulous grandparents. But the arrangement may be temporary. The quiet, awkward teenager has been getting into trouble at home and has been expelled from her high school for throwing a record album at a popular girl who bullied her. When Christmas is over and the new year begins, Laura may find herself at boarding school in Montreal.
Nearly unmoored from reality through her panic and submerged grief, Laura is startled when a handsome swan boy with only one wing lands on her roof. Hiding him from her ever-bickering grandparents, Laura tries to build the swan boy a wing so he can fly home. But the task is too difficult to accomplish herself. Little does Laura know that her struggle to find help for her new friend parallels that of her grandparents, who are desperate for a distant relative’s financial aid to save the family store.
As he explores themes of class, isolation, family, and the dangerous yearning to be saved by a power greater than ourselves, Gregory Maguire conjures a haunting, beautiful tale of magical realism that illuminates one young woman’s heartbreak and hope as she begins the inevitable journey to adulthood.
My Thoughts
I am a huge Wicked fan and swallowed everything I could on it. So bear in mind that when you sign up for a Gregory Maguire book, it is always going to be left of centre. His unique approach to twisting the classics is second to none. On this occasion the synopsis accurately sums up what this book is about: a magical retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s, The Wild Swans, seen as a coming of age story of a young and troubled New York girl.
“... on probation till Easter. We’ll reassess then and see if you have been able to build on this beginning. But I’ll be requiring some heavy lifting from you, Laura. You’ll have to spread your wings now.” “Oh,” said Laura. “Well, I have some practice there.”
Without doubt there are two strong factors in this read. One is the evocative portrayal of 1960s New York City at Christmas time. Strong atmospheric writing that made location just as much a feature as the plot itself. Secondly, the characterisation of the Italian-born grandparents and their Irish cook was phenomenal - I read with both an Italiano flourish and Irish brogue! Gregory’s writing is engaging:
‘She thought: His Nordic chill, my Mediterranean sun. His heroic north against my Catholic south. Pagan magic against Christian miracle.’
The premise, like Maguire’s other books, is clever but sadly this one fell somewhat flat for me. There is no doubt he can twist a tale like no other, however, I really felt the whole fantasy element was lacking. Who was this mysterious boy? Was he just a figment of her imagination? A necessary ‘encounter’ to knock Laura out of her negativity? I kept waiting for a strong conceptual understanding but it did not deliver. I understood Laura’s loneliness and the strong impact of her family history and that, therefore, extraordinary circumstances were required to lift her up from her loneliness and teenage angst. I just don’t think Hans fit that bill.
I really wanted to love this book but felt that the magical realism was not the strong point. In fact, it was the charming life inside that 1960s New York brownstone that really captured my imagination.
‘This was the great mystery of the city in which she lived. It was so filled with variety that she had always trusted, somehow, that she would find her own available place in it. A perch, like that of any bird. A hidey-hole like the one that little white owl had found. There was enough otherliness here to have room for Laura. Surely?’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
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