Welcome! This is such a unique and compelling story. Read my review below...
Under the Heron's Light
By Randi Pink
Young Adult Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Dual Timeline
Hardcover & eBook, 352 Pages
October 15, 2024 by Feiwel & Friends
Summary
Inspired by stories about the real-world Great Dismal Swamp, this acclaimed fantasy explores alternate history, a family’s supernatural connections to the swamp, and the strength that comes in knowing your roots.
★ "A fierce, loving, and exquisite humanity-centered book." ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ "Mesmerizing storytelling. . ." ―Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Four thousand six hundred forty-two steps in,” Grannylou interrupted. “You remember that now, Baby. Four-thousand six hundred forty-two steps to paradise.”
On a damp night in 1722, Babylou Mac and her three siblings witness the murder of their mother at the hands of the local preacher’s son―so Babylou kills him in retaliation. With plantation dogs now on their heels, the four siblings breach the treacherous confines of the Great Dismal Swamp. Deeper and deeper into Dismal they delve, amid the biting moccasins and pitch-black waters, toward a refuge where they can live freely within the swamp’s natural―and supernatural―protection.
Three-hundred years later, college student Atlas comes home to North Carolina for the annual Bornday cookout and hog roast: a celebration of the fact that she and her three cousins were all born on the same day nineteen years ago, sharing a birthday with their Grannylou. But this Bornday, Grannylou’s usual riddles and folktales about a marvelous paradise deep in the Great Dismal Swamp start to take on a tangible quality. Change coming.
When Dismal calls, sucking Grannylou in, it’s up to Atlas and her cousins to uncover the history that the black waters hold. Centuries of family tension, with roots all over Virginia and North Carolina, are about to be dug up. Because Babylou and Grannylou are one and the same, and the power she helped cultivate hundreds of years ago―steeped in Black resistance, familial love, and the otherworldly mysteries of the Great Dismal Swamp―is bubbling back up. But so is a bitterness that runs deep as the swamp’s waters. And some are ready to take what they feel they’re owed.
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My Review
UNDER THE HERON'S LIGHT is one of those unique stories that draws you in as it weaves itself around you. Steeped in a history full of hardship and wrongness while also being one of family, sacrifice and magic. The characters are full of life and compelling as they strive to find safety and power by escaping to the Great Dismal Swamp, and in their own ancestry and family. Full of prose and verse, with an emotionally driven conclusion. Recommended to fans of multigenerational literary fiction and magical realism.
I don't know that I can do this book justice. Ther are so many layers to it with phrases that those who live in the southern United States might find resonate deeply. I loved the multigenerational family aspect so, so much! The heritage, stories, respect, and love. I loved Grannylou, Atlas, Abigail and even Coral with all their complexities and surrounding family. I loved the way this story reached across generations and how the strength of those who came before gave their descendants the power to do what was needed while each also having their own unique gifts and strengths. I also enjoyed the connection to the land and how magic was weaved through the story. It was a part of the plot that worked for me. The prose does run a bit in places and might be difficult for some to follow, but I could gather what I needed to and follow along just fine. This story doesn't hide the ugliness of slavery. Neither does it hide the sometimes-malicious intent of people on their own people. Thank goodness the author believes in happily-ever-after.
There were little bits of wisdom in this story. Here is one where I loved the phrasing:
"Layered people with storied pasts and intricate connections to one another passing in and out of her creaking screen door. But also layered by history. Hard-fought battles and movements began and ended in this swamp."
And this one that lends a sweetness to this story:
"Sad lock has finally found his key,
They come to me,
On bended knee,
A detail I did not foresee,
Is love, alas, sweet love.
But this sad lock and his clever map,
Deserve an Isle to themselves.
I'll light him up and show them the way,
To higher ground and brighter days,
Along with his love,
As fondness oft does,
They'll build their own Isle,
Says ME."
In the end, was it what I wished for? This is a unique and compelling young adult story. Part multicultural and multigenerational, and part fantasy. A book that is well worth the read!
Content: Some fairly strong violence, mild swearing.
Source: I received a complimentary copy through TBR & Beyond Tours, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.
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