The Sisters of the Winter Wood
Two sisters are raised in a cottage near a remote Ukrainian village. Liba is husky and dark-skinned, like her father. Laya’s features are more graceful, with coloring so fair it could be mistaken for white, just like her mother. Pogroms against the Jews have just started in the early 19th century when Tati, the father, announces that he and Mami need to travel back to his ancestral village to visit his dying father. The parents tell the girls they are old enough to take of themselves while the parents are gone. Then Mami takes Liba aside and explains to her the most unbelievable story of their heritage, one of magic combined with folklore and fairy tales. She cautions Liba to take care of Laya, and not to stray in the woods.
The parents are gone only a day when a group of mysterious brothers comes to the village and offers their luscious summer fruits for sale. The townspeople do not question how the brothers have obtained cherries, apricots, and melons in winter. It is not until a few villagers go missing, and Laya falls for the charms of one of the brothers, that Liba realizes she will have to call upon powers she has never tapped to save her sister and the village.
I am not usually a fan of historical fantasy, but this novel drew me in from the very first page, complemented by the exquisite art of the front cover. It’s a compelling narrative in a magical setting that felt completely real, and the complex characters and plot twists enticed me to keep turning the pages. Sisters of the Winter Wood is a superb novel I predict will go on to win awards. Heartily recommended.
