an interesting read
I was given this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. A family grows in rural Russia. Their lives are in constant struggle with the natural world which is beyond their control. They find comfort in a mixture of old ‘pagan’ beliefs and the newer beliefs of the Christian church. A young woman fights outside pressures to find a path in an ever-changing world. This world is made up of Vasilisa and her family. Vasilisa is a young girl who loves folk tales and lives one. Her empathy with the natural and spiritual world makes her the apex of the conflict between old and new beliefs. This book shares the Fairy-tale feel of Catherynne M. Valente’s Deathless and the Brothers Karamazov’s (by Dostoyevsky) questioning of spirituality, magic, and religion. I highly recommend this book.