The Secret of Nightingale Wood

Starred review from August 21, 2017
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.

Author Lucy Strange narrates her debut novel with the sensitivity that comes from having written it. She fully dramatizes the upheavals of 12-year-old Henrietta, whose grief at her older brother's death is multiplied by the cruelties her catatonic mother suffers at the hands of the uncaring Doctor Hardy. Strange animates Henrietta's determination to help her family and her frustrations in doing so. The story's post-WWI British setting in a mysterious wood provides a melancholy, mysterious backdrop. Strange gives even minor characters layered portraits. Doctor Hardy's menacing demeanor is due to his megalomania, Henrietta's caretakers are strict mostly for her protection, and Moth, who lives in the woods, has a kindness born from her own loss. A passion for words is always evident, and lyricism provides emotional respites in this difficult story. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine