From: Connie Rockman <connie.rock>
Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2005 10:35:36 -0500

What struck me about Crow Girl was that it seemed folkloric. There was a sense of an old folk tale that was especially emphasized by the girl not having a name, by the journey of self-discovery as she learned more about the world beyond her cove, and how she came back to her beginnings having gained wisdom and a "family" of people with whom she could interact. The nasty woman is also a folkloric character, a stock figure that most adventuring child hero/heroines must encounter and overcome.

The "old?shioned" feel that Katy mentioned and the stoicism of the characters that Monica identified are both characteristics that, for me, put it firmly in the folklore tradition, along with a timeless sense of the setting. No mention is made of where or when, which bothered me at first, and then I realized that this is a story that is truly timeless, like an ages-old folk tale. It's about the resilience of childhood and the redeeming quality of hope that carries children through the most difficult circumstances, whether in the isolated communities of the far north or in a crowded city tenement or in the private horror of an abusive situation. There is a metaphorical quality to the story that children will appreciate at a deep level, but it may be a book that adults have to introduce to them.

Connie Rockman
Received on Thu 17 Mar 2005 09:35:36 AM CST