The Light Between Worlds

Starred review from September 3, 2018
In this haunting historical fantasy similar to Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series for adults, two sisters struggle with reacclimation to the modern world after spending years in a magical realm. In 1944, as London burns during WWII bombings, Philippa, Jamie, and Evelyn Hapwell are transported to the enchanted Woodlands—only to discover that their refuge has its own troubles with war on the horizon. Six years of Woodlands time later, the trio is returned to the moment that they left London, unchanged physically but possessing a lifetime of experiences. Years later, Evelyn, 16, who hasn’t stopped longing for the Woodlands, vanishes in an attempt to return to the only place she’s ever considered home. Her older sister, Philippa, is consumed with guilt over Evelyn’s fate, even as she tries to create a life that doesn’t revolve around responsibility for her sibling. In this love letter to portal fantasies and Narnia, Weymouth infuses her characters with a rich panoply of emotions set against wartime England. A shining thread of hope and healing mitigates the book’s heartbreak and underlying trauma, suggesting a bright future for all involved. Ages 13–up. Agent: Lauren Spieller, TriadaUS.

Narrators Fiona Hardingham and Moira Quirk skillfully deliver the story of two sisters. Evelyn is lost between two worlds: the magical Woodlands, where her heart feels truly at home, and post-WWII England, where her family remains. Older sister Philippa does what she must to find a place again in their current world. With distinct voices and accents for each of the characters, both Hardingham and Quirk bring the listener into the worlds shared by the siblings. They equally engage the listener so that one feels Evelyn's despair and Philippa's uncertainty and guilt. The slight variations between narrators can be attributed to each character's point of view, adding another layer to this superb production. A.L.S.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

Starred review from December 1, 2018

Gr 8 Up{amp}ndash;During a bombing raid on London at the end of World War II, Evelyn and Philippa Hapwell, along with their brother Jamie, were transported to a magical realm called the Woodlands. There they stayed for six years, fighting a war against the mighty Tarsan Empire alongside Cervus, the Guardian of the Woodlands. But now, they've abruptly returned home, to the exact point in time they were swept away from, and ever since then, they've struggled to adjust to life in England. Jamie and Philippa just want to forget the Woodlands. But Evelyn, who fiercely believes that she belongs there, just wants to go back, and spends her days wandering the woods searching for reentry. When Evelyn goes missing, Philippa must confront the fissures in the Hapwell children's lives{amp}mdash;and come to terms with the fact that either Evelyn did find a way back, or was consumed by the grief that had haunted her since their return. In this emotional and poignant debut, Weymouth explores the story that The Chronicles of Narnia did not tell: how would someone cope with returning to the real world after living their lives in a magical realm? Told in alternating flashbacks between life in the Woodlands and life in England, the lyrical and moving prose paints a portrait of a family torn apart desperately struggling to heal itself. VERDICT A powerful, magical debut for all YA fantasy shelves. Hand this to anyone who ever wondered what may have happened to the Pevensie children after Narnia.{amp}mdash;Tyler Hixson, Brooklyn Public Library

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 15, 2018
A mystical novel about three siblings finding, then losing, then finding their ways home again.In the middle of the Blitz, 10-year-old Evelyn Hapwell imagines "a haven of silence and golden light," wishing to go "Anywhere but here." She and her two siblings, Philippa and Jamie, are magically summoned to the Woodlands, greeted by a majestic stag named Cervus, who tells the children that "a Woodlands heart always finds its way home." This refrain is repeated throughout the novel, as it alternates between the children's adventures in the Woodlands (war, peace, negotiations with corrupt royalty) and their subsequent attempts to readjust to normal life when Cervus sends them back to London. Five and a half years of their experiences collapse when they're transported back to the middle of the bombing they had escaped, their parents none the wiser. Evelyn, who believes that hers is truly a Woodlands heart, struggles to cope, whereas Jamie and Philippa are happier to be back home. Halfway through, the focus switches from traumatized Evelyn to cool, collected, and competent Philippa, who is a far more intriguing character with a more strongly realized plot than her sister. Main characters are white and there is significant ethnic diversity in secondary characters.The slightly lackluster fantasy at the center of this novel provides an interesting perspective on war, trauma, and recovery. (Fiction. 13-17)

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