Seven Wild Sisters

Starred review from February 10, 2014
In this lovely sequel to The Cats of Tanglewood Forest, the earlier story's heroine, Lillian, now elderly, still lives in a simple house in a secluded hollow, up in the hills. Strong-willed Sarah Jane lives with her mother and six feisty sisters in the nearest town, but she loves the woods and soon befriends Lillian, who is full of wondrous stories about the local fairies. When Sarah Jane saves the life of a tiny âsangman (ginseng fairy) struck by many tiny arrows, she enters into her own fairy story. The âsangmen, it seems, are at war with the bee fairies, and the two hostile fairy tribes soon take Sarah Jane's sisters hostage, hoping to trade them for the tiny man. Vess's illustrations are gracefully in sync with the storyline, and de Lint fleshes out both major and minor human characters, as well as mythical creatures like Lillian's fairy love, the Apple Tree Man. The lyrical narrative blends a contemporary setting with a fairy tale that might have been plucked from a distinctly different time and place. Ages 8â12. Agent: Russ Galen, Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency, Inc.

February 18, 2002
"Course there's spirits in the hills. How could there not be?" muses Aunt Lillian, the backwoods wise woman whose interaction with bee fairies and 'sangmen (tiny ginseng root fairies) sets up the connection the wild red-haired sisters have to the magical Otherworld in this appealing contemporary fairy tale from Canadian de Lint (Moonlight and Vine). It is a wild connection, indeed, because "it's dangerous for humans to be with fairies. It wakes things in you that can't be satisfied, leaving you with a hunger that lasts until the end of your days." These cautionary words come from old Aunt Lillian's true love, the Apple Tree Man, after young Sarah Jane Dillard rescues an injured 'sangman and unwittingly becomes involved in a romantic 'sangman vs. bee fairy conflict, which originated when a bee fairy princess fell in love and ran off with the wounded 'sangman. The middle child of a collection of engaging and sometimes downright incorrigible sisters, Sarah Jane, along with Adie, Laurel and Bess (musical twins), Elsie, Ruth and Grace (the youngest twins), are all drawn into this Otherworldly feud that can be resolved only after much delightful malingering by storyteller de Lint. This long-awaited collaboration between de Lint and noted illustrator Charles Vess, World Fantasy Award–winning artist and past collaborator with Neil Gaiman and Jeff Smith, weaves a gentle and at times humorous enchantment, suitable for fantasy fans of all ages. (Mar. 19)FYI:De Lint's last book in his Newford series was
The Onion Girl (Forecasts, Oct. 22).

Starred review from January 15, 2014
Beautiful bookmaking, lovely storytelling and wondrous illustrations make for a splendid sequel-of-sorts to The Cats of Tanglewood Forest (2013). The little girl of the earlier tale is now "Aunt" Lillian, a woman in her 80s who lives alone and who fascinates young Sarah Jane Dillard, the middle of seven red-haired sisters. Sarah Jane tells parts of the story in the first person, while her sisters (two sets of twins and two singletons) figure in third-person sections woven in and around Sarah Jane's account. Harvesting ginseng, or 'sang, for Aunt Lillian by herself for the first time, Sarah Jane finds an injured 'sangman. By helping him, she angers the bee fairies who had attacked him. Aunt Lillian enlists the aid of the Apple Tree Man to negotiate in the Otherworld but not before all of the sisters become entangled in the fight on one side or another. The skills of the sisters--Adie at action; Laurel and Bess at music; Elsie at observation; and Ruth and Grace at raising hell--all play into the resolution, although not without a bit of eldritch assistance. The language is as pretty on the page as it is in the speaking, with rich echoes of fantasy tropes. The story and the art are reworked from a limited edition of some time ago, described by Vess in an artist's note. There is a promise of more stories at the ever-so-satisfying end, which comes with the tiniest hint of romance past and future--readers will be enchanted. (Fantasy. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from April 1, 2014

Gr 3-7-The girl from The Cats of Tanglewood Forest (Little, Brown, 2013) returns as elderly and reclusive Aunt Lillian. This delicious companion novel, set many decades after the first story, features Sarah Jane Dillard (the middle daughter in a family of seven redheaded sisters), who befriends Aunt Lillian and unwittingly gets involved in the fairy world. Sarah Jane tells her parts of the story in first person, while her sisters (two sets of twins and two singletons) weave theirs in third person. When Sarah Jane stumbles upon an injured spirit called a "sangman" and assists him, she angers the bee fairies, who have a longstanding feud with the sangman. Aunt Lillian has always told Sarah Jane stories about fairies and the Apple Tree Man, so she is the one Sarah Jane turns to for help. Soon Sarah Jane's sisters are kidnapped, half by the bee fairies and the other half by the sangmen. Aunt Lillian and Sarah Jane attempt to rescue the girls before they are killed or trapped in the fairy world forever. The sisters each have distinct skills and personalities, which de Lint develops marvelously. In an artist's note, Vess informs readers that his novel was previously published in a limited edition with black-and-white pen-and-ink drawings. Here he has added 26 new illustrations, which are beautifully colored with sepia tones and carefully applied color. After a satisfying conclusion, hints are made that more stories will be forthcoming, possibly with a love interest for Sarah Jane.-Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.