Bramble Fox
Magic is everywhere.
When Portia goes to stay with her mother’s aunt, Rose, in North Wales, she is intrigued by the behaviour of a strange golden-eyed fox which leads her to discover a hidden key. When the fox leads her to a doorway, she cannot resist seeing whether the key will open it- and finds herself in the world of Faerie. To her horror, she learns she has disturbed the Grey King, who is eager to cross over into the Human World with his ghostly army and spread his fog of forgetting. With the help of her new found friend, Ben, Portia must decide who to trust if they are to save both the Faerie and the human worlds.
Rich in folklore and mythology, this is a wonderful story. It is a difficult one to review without spoiling it for anyone who hasn’t read it so I will be briefer than usual!
Portia and Ben make an excellent team, coming to value one another and appreciate each others strengths. Ben is struggling to come to terms with the death of his father whilst Portia lives with the shadow of her mother’s mental illness. Both learn much on their adventure- about themselves and about others- but I found Ben’s ‘journey’ particularly fascinating. He is a very endearing character, shown both through his own actions and the reactions of others to him.
The story is full of references to Shakespeare, story, mythology and, of course, the natural beauty of Wales, Eryri (Snowdonia) in particular. It is a magical mix, steeped in the wonder of the imagination with hints at half-remembered tales, offering the reader a comfortable familiarity which makes it seem almost real! Inspiration from the real world and that of the faerie mingle perfectly in these pages.
Once I had finished the story, I found myself pondering on the importance of translating books from other languages into English. This is a treasure I never would have been able to read were it not for the skill of translator, Cathrin Wirtz, or the vision of Pushkin Press whose books I love. It is so important to offer these stories as part of the cornucopia of reading delights available to children to ensure their reading lives are enriched by opening new horizons and exploring ideas and writings beyond those of their native language.
One not to be missed!
Bramble Fox Kathrin Tordasi, translated by Cathrin Wirtz
Pushkin Children’s ISBN: 978-1782693451
Bramble Fox Kathrin Tordasi, translated by Cathrin Wirtz
Pushkin Children’s ISBN: 978-1782693451