The Woods

September 23, 2019
In this haunting novel set in 1947 Texas, Lenora, 12, struggles with grief and denial after her immediate family dies in a terrible accident. Sent to live with a reclusive uncle she’s never met, she clings to the hope that her parents and siblings might still be alive as she reluctantly adjusts to life in a sprawling ancestral manor. Barred from participating in aloof Uncle Richard’s mysterious scientific pursuits, Lenora turns her attention to the nearby forbidden magical woods, which have claimed lives, according to family lore. The wondrous creatures and tantalizing marvels she finds there compel her, and Lenora must choose between the real world and dangerous enchantments, even as her uncle plans to destroy everything. Reminiscent of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden in its elemental plot points (young orphan, reclusive uncle, mysterious manor house, a transformative green space) and rooted in the tragic 1947 explosion in Texas City, this story moves slowly from the mundane to the magical. The leisurely narrative is weighed down somewhat by an abundance of plot elements, but Toalson (The Colors of the Rain) offers an evocative exploration of loss and recovery in this engaging, lyrical fantasy. Ages 8–12. Agent: Rena Rossner, Deborah Harris Literary Agency.

September 27, 2019

Gr 5 Up-Richard Cole is a scientist-some would say a mad scientist-who is working to defeat the break of the Stonewall Curse. The Cole family has been plagued by a generations of losses of family members, all having to do with the nearby mysterious woods. While Richard is working to halt the curse, his niece, Lenora, comes to live in his mansion. She has been orphaned by the worst industrial accident in U.S. history, the Texas City explosion of 1947. Lonely and grieving, Lenora struggles to understand her incomprehensible uncle, who is always working in his laboratory. Uncle Richard warns her to stay away from the woods, but she is drawn to them. Then a spirit calls to her from an open window, the spirit tries to become flesh, and Lenora soon faces the worst danger imaginable. Will she survive? Is her family dead or alive? Readers must piece this story together through excerpts from Uncle Richard's journal. VERDICT A supernatural wonder of a book. This Grimm-like fantasy is vividly detailed and will appeal to young and old readers alike.-Lisa Gieskes, Richland County Public Library, Columbia, SC

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