Author Julie Gilbert Discusses the Writing of Her New Book ‘Giant Love’
Julie Gilbert Today, we delve into the enduring relevance of the themes explored by Pulitzer Prize -winning author Edna Ferber
From “Island of Whispers.”Credit…Emily Gravett ISLAND OF WHISPERS , by Frances Hardinge; illustrated by Emily Gravett How often do you find a book that can enchant 10-year-olds and grandparents, that feels both timeless and quirkily specific, that’s super creepy but also hugely life-affirming? With “Island of Whispers,” Frances Hardinge delivers. Milo, 14, is the son of the Ferryman, who takes the Dead from the land of the living to the Island of the Broken Tower — a mysterious place whose location in the misty seas is unfixed, ever-changing. When a person dies, a pair of their shoes, brought to the Ferryman by a loved one, accompanies them on the journey. Without their shoes, the Dead can’t move on. Milo knows he’ll never inherit the Ferryman mantle himself. He’s always been too softhearted, too imaginative for such a dangerous job … or so his father has told him. His stolid, uncurious big brother, Leif, is more suited to it. But of course, this is a fable, and that’s not how things work out. After the young daughter of the imperious lord of the land dies, the lord decides to use magic — and his daughter’s shoes — to bring her back. His men kill the Ferryman and capture Leif; Milo grabs his father’s boots and the girl’s slippers and escapes to the Ferryman’s boat. He’s determined to help his father and the lord’s daughter (also 14) get to the Island of the Broken Tower. He’s unprepared, but there’s no one else. And though none of us knows what happens after death, we do know that death is immutable, and bringing things back to life rarely ends well. (Think Stephen King’s “Pet Sematary.”) From “Island of Whispers.”Credit…Emily Gravett What follows is a race between the Ferryman’s boat and the lord’s boat. It’s made even more unnerving by the fact that the lord’s daughter doesn’t want to be dead, the lord’s magicians use all manner of traps to stop Milo from reaching the island, and tricks of light turn out be real. This is both a gothic ghost story and a seafaring […]
Click here to view original page at Frances Hardinge’s “Island of Whispers” is lush and poetic, and holy moly is it eerie.
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Julie Gilbert Today, we delve into the enduring relevance of the themes explored by Pulitzer Prize -winning author Edna Ferber
The Mallorcan Joana Marcús is a young bestseller in Spain and America, writer of young adult novels with a romantic
