Hipsy's View: Daughter of the Forest
I stumbled upon this novel when I was in high school. I was about sixteen and it was one of the first novels I had read that had adult content. Imagine a young girl in her history class silently reading for her free time who has never read detailed actions that are only implied in an awkward physical education classroom, surrounded by her friends. I was so embarrassed! But also I was excited to read a book that was rich in Celtic mythology and set in an era I am enamored with. This is one of my favorite books, and I am about to let you know why.
Daughter of the Forest is the first book of the Sevenwaters Series. Originally, the series was only a trilogy when I first started reading it. Written by New Zealand/Austrailian author Juliet Marillier, this novel is a historical fantasy, loosely based on the Irish Celtic mythology and the fairy tale of the Six Swans. Being set in Ireland and part of Brittany, the story tells of how a young girl named Sorcha and how she must free her six brothers from a curse their stepmother has placed upon them. The Tuatha Dé Danann (who are the old gods and goddesses of Erin before Christianity became a main religion in the country) inform her that in order save her brothers, she must make six shirts out of a nettle plant called starwort. But she must do this task in silence; no speaking, crying out loud or screaming. During this time, she is also informed, that her brothers can take human form for one night at the turn of the seasons; during that time they will be drawn to her and can come to visit her. But until the shirts are done, she will not be able to speak at all.
Being deep in the forests and with her brother's dog for a companion, Sorcha believes she will be able to complete this task easily. That all changes once she is discovered by some people in a nearby village, leaving her completely alone, broken, and reluctant to trust others. Soon after this incident, she is found by Briton men that are searching for a young boy. Coincidentally, Sorcha knows of the boy they are searching for; it was someone she and one of her brothers helped escape her father's household. The leader of this small search squad is the boy's brother, who they call Red; he feels that Sorcha could hold the key to his brother's disappearance. He decides to take her back with him to Harrowfield, his home in Brittany.
Though she does not want to go at first, Sorcha knows she must leave her country in order to try to finish her brothers' shirts. Reluctantly, and then slowly gaining his trust, Sorcha relies on Red's protection. But when news of a possible sighting of his brother reaches Harrowfield, things lead to a new path in Sorcha's journey. Will she be able to finish the shirts in time? Will her brothers be able to find her? And will she be able to keep her silence throughout her trial?
As I stated before, this is one of my favorite novels that I have had the chance to read. I literally put a book I was halfway finished with to the side to reread Daughter of the Forest as soon as I bought it a few months ago. This book, along with the Celtic music I was listening to when I was younger, only inspired my fascination with Celtic folklore and culture even more. The imagery is so rich and beautiful, it makes me want to visit Ireland even more. The setting of the story is during a time many of the British Isles' countries were quarreling and fighting for lands, as well as fighting off foreign enemies such as the Picts. Christianity was also becoming a big influence on the Irish culture, with a hermit friar being among one of the respected people in Sevenwaters. Plus, Marillier entwines mythology, folklore, and history so well. I've read quite a few of her works and have had the chance to talk to her via email and Goodreads (which I definitely recommend being a part of if you are an avid reader such as myself). If I ever get a chance to meet this author in person, I will be honored. She has given me helpful and great advice through my journey of becoming a writer, and keep in mind to this day.
This novel will always be high on my list, and I would put Marillier on the list of great writers such as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. I would also recommend this to anyone that has read Mists of Avalon, Cassandra Clare novels, and anything Arthurian legend-based. If you would like to read more of Marillier's work, you can find a list of them on her Goodreads' page, and visit her website here.
Let me know if you like the pictures at the end of my blogs or if you think they are a waste of space, and please give me some recommendations; they might be my next review.