Starred Review It's 1919, and in the aftermath of the Great War, almost everything seems tattered by loss. Hen Abbott's mother, however, is in particularly bad shape. It started with the death of Hen's older brother, Robert, and continued with the birth of her baby sister, nicknamed Piglet. Seeking a "fresh start," Hen's father shuffles the family from London to Hope House, a slumping seaside estate flanked by forest. But Mama's condition, an unspoken mixture of melancholy and withdrawal, is worsening, and when Hen's father journeys abroad for work, Hen's family is left at the mercy of callous Dr. Hardy, a keen proponent of mandatory bedrest and heavy sedatives. The circumstances are no doubt bleak, but Hen is not alone: at night, a golden glow from deep within the woods beckons her. Its unlikely source may help Hen save her mother d transform her world. Eerily reminiscent of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's nineteenth-century short story, The Yellow Wallpaper, Strange's debut achingly illuminates the horrors of the rest "cure," as well as the enduring sting of profound grief. Yet, in defiant Hen d her glittering, fairy tale flecked imagination range presents a worthy antidote to both. Interweaving bright, poetic prose with gothic imagery and deft allusions to literary classics, from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland to John Keats' "Bright Star," Strange crafts a gorgeous, utterly enchanting classic of her own.

Moving from London to the countryside, Henrietta, a 12-year-old white English girl, encounters mysterious secrets threatening to destroy her family.In the summer of 1919, Henry and her family arrive at Hope House, with its gardens and "wilderness of woodland," seeking a "fresh start." Unwell since her son's recent death, Henry's mother immediately collapses; local Dr. Hardy sedates and confines her in a locked room. Simultaneously, Henry's father exits abroad for his job, leaving Henry and her baby sister with their nanny. Alone, Henry spends days rereading familiar books and fairy tales and nights reliving the terrifying fire that killed the brother who haunts her. Magnetically drawn to Nightingale Wood, Henry discovers a woman called Moth living in a caravan harboring her own secrets like a "forgotten, fairy-tale princess." When Dr. Hardy commits her mother to an asylum, removes her sister, and suggests she suffers the same mental illness as her mother, a resolute Henry attempts a daring rescue, aided by Moth. In an imaginative, compelling first-person narration, Henry wraps her story in fairy tales, exposing her guilt, grief, isolation, and fear as she unravels the stunning secrets of Nightingale Wood. An evocative, beautifully written, mesmerizing debut tale with lush fairy-tale themes and a poignant exploration of mental illness—enthralling. (Historical fiction. 9-12)

Moving from London to the countryside, Henrietta, a 12-year-old white English girl, encounters mysterious secrets threatening to destroy her family.In the summer of 1919, Henry and her family arrive at Hope House, with its gardens and "wilderness of woodland," seeking a "fresh start." Unwell since her son's recent death, Henry's mother immediately collapses; local Dr. Hardy sedates and confines her in a locked room. Simultaneously, Henry's father exits abroad for his job, leaving Henry and her baby sister with their nanny. Alone, Henry spends days rereading familiar books and fairy tales and nights reliving the terrifying fire that killed the brother who haunts her. Magnetically drawn to Nightingale Wood, Henry discovers a woman called Moth living in a caravan harboring her own secrets like a "forgotten, fairy-tale princess." When Dr. Hardy commits her mother to an asylum, removes her sister, and suggests she suffers the same mental illness as her mother, a resolute Henry attempts a daring rescue, aided by Moth. In an imaginative, compelling first-person narration, Henry wraps her story in fairy tales, exposing her guilt, grief, isolation, and fear as she unravels the stunning secrets of Nightingale Wood. An evocative, beautifully written, mesmerizing debut tale with lush fairy-tale themes and a poignant exploration of mental illness—enthralling. (Historical fiction. 9-12)

Set a year after the end of WWI, this compelling debut places imaginative 12-year-old narrator Henrietta -Hen- Abbott in an impossible situation. After the death of Hen-s brother, her father moves the family from London to the countryside, only to depart to the continent for work, leaving Hen-s mother struggling with mental illness and cared for by a sinister doctor. -Suddenly I felt dangerously alone,- Hen recounts. -Mama was ill and drugged. Father was not here. Doctor Hardy thought I was going mad, and Nanny Jane had become his spy.- She finds solace in the woods and meets a supposed witch (whom she dubs Moth) living in a caravan. The mystery surrounding this woman becomes a central thread, and her character extends needed kindness to Hen, supporting her efforts to save her family. Strange effectively weaves in fairy tales, poetry, and themes common to classic children-s literature, reflecting Hen-s love of books. A brave heroine propels this strong and richly layered novel, a memorable portrait of grief, resilience, and rebirth. Ages 8-12. (Oct.)