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INTERMEDIATE FICTION
Paasewe-Valchev, Mayonn

There Flies the Wtich

224 pp. | Greenwillow | May, 2023 | Trade ISBN 9780062993649 $18.99 | Ebook ISBN 9780062993663 $10.99
(3) 4-6 In this enigmatic novel, the narrator, Red, is a young girl who lives with a very old woman she assumes is her mother, Yakaka, in the mountains. Most days, they engage in everyday tasks—cooking, cleaning, and mending. Some days, however, they travel the world to heal the Earth with Yakaka’s stories. One day, Yakaka and Red are tasked with another healing mission, but a terrible storm knocks them out of the sky and onto a deserted island. Oddly, Yakaka leaves Red there with no food or fire to keep warm, which confuses and hurts her. After days of loneliness, Red meets Rubos and his mother, the only people left on the island. Through this friendship, she learns more about who she is and who she is not. But even though she learns to enjoy island life, there is one question that haunts her: where is Yakaka? Lyrical prose explores themes of identity, family, resilience, and belonging. A heartfelt coming-of-age story, the short and powerful novel will draw readers into the everyday life of a young girl who longs to find herself.
Reviewer: S. R. Toliver

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