Publisher Marketing: In "West of the Moon," award-winning and "New York Times" bestselling author Margi Preus expertly weaves original fiction with myth and folktale to tell the story of Astri, a young Norwegian girl desperate to join her father in America. After being separated from her sister and sold to a cruel goat farmer, Astri makes a daring escape. She quickly retrieves her little sister, and, armed with a troll treasure, a book of spells and curses, and a possibly magic hairbrush, they set off for America. With a mysterious companion in tow and the malevolent "goatman" in pursuit, the girls head over the Norwegian mountains, through field and forest, and in and out of folktales and dreams as they steadily make their way east of the sun and west of the moon.
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“At its most basic, this is a tale
about a girl escaping a poverty-stricken life in mid-nineteenth century Norway.
But from the beginning, the mystical and wondrous elements of Norwegian
folktales are woven into the narrative, lending a timeless quality to a story
inspired by the author’s family history. The harsh realities of that time
period, from rickets to tetanus, take on a strange, magical, and often
terrifying aspect, as seen through Astri’s naive eyes…The decisions Astri makes
to survive come to haunt her, and with her regret comes a new maturity, strength,
and an ability to face her future in America. Enthralling and unflinching, this
historical tale resonates with mythical undertones that will linger with
readers after the final page is turned.”
—
School Library Journal (starred review)