‘He gives me a basket
full of fruit.
“I can’t take this,” I say.
“For your sister and you
to share.” He puts it in my hands.’
Not only is the cover to this story absolutely beautiful, but the content inside is amazing as well. It flips back and forth between prose and poetry, and I really enjoyed it. It added an extra depth and imagery to each of the sisters points of view. Made the story very unique.
I was curious to see how Rena Rossner would juggle the fantastical, historical, Jewish, and Goblin Market tones to the story, and they meshed really well. She’s really talented at combining it all because it seemed like it could be slightly overwhelming. It wasn’t in the slightest.
The Jewish history and representation was my favorite part. In the authors note you see the inspiration and the reasoning to how/ why Rena wrote this story, and I started tearing up because it only strengthened the message of the story at the end.
Lastly, the sisters relationship was fantastic. I always love seeing familial relationships in stories, and this one was indeed genuine and difficult to be honest. The sisters butted heads, and to me that reminded me of my own interactions with my brother. It felt SO real even though the world has fantasy. The sisters are truly their own individuals, but their love for each other binds them together.
I connected with both Liba and Laya, depending on the moment within the story, but Liba specifically just spoke to me on another level. A lot of her thoughts have just been in my head before.
Lastly, in short there’s a mixture of past and present. Hope and innocence. Sexuality and love.
I recommend this story to any one who wants a fantastical walk in the woods. It’s definitely for fans of Uprooted/ Spinning Silver and The Bear and the Nightingale. I cannot wait for y’all to dive into this luscious tale.

Thanks Orbit Books for providing me with an ARC to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.