It rained last night but it's cloudy and mild this morning. About to take the puppies for their morning stroll. First here is your Advent Calendar book for today.
"I had only previously read one book by Peter S. Beagle, that being The Last Unicorn from 1968 and I enjoyed it well enough. A friend had recommended another, A Fine and Private Place (1960) and while I do have it now on my bookshelves, I instead decided to try another, Tamsin, originally published in 1999.
Simply put, this was an excellent fantasy story, rich, interesting and peopled with fascinating characters, both human and ghostly (and others). Jenny lives with her mother Sally in New York. She is relatively happy with her life; has good friends and gets to see her itinerant father when he's in town. Sally has fallen in love with Englishman, Evan and they are moving back to England. Jenny is very unhappy about this and determines either to stay with her father in New York (that ain't going to work) or make sure her mother is miserable for forcing her out of her comfort zone.
So taking along her pet, Mr. Cat (who will be in quarantine for six months), Jenny, Sally and Evan pack up and move to England. The initial plan was to live with his sons, Julian and Tony in London. But the plans change, when Evan, an agriculturalist, is offered a job and estate in Dorset. When they all arrive, they see a decrepit estate that needs to basically be rebuilt and a farm that will need major work if it is to survive.
So begins Jenny's life in Dorset, getting established in a new school (she will make a great friend in Meena there) and also try to get accustomed to the quirks of Dorset and her new home. She will also find that Dorset is rich in supernatural beings; the Pooka (a sort of goblin), the Oakmen (who haunt the oak forest), the Black Dog (who watches over and provides warnings), etc. Oh, yes, the Wild Hunt will make appearances. Of most interest to Jenny is Tamsin Willoughby, the spirit of a young girl who died on the estate (it was her family estate) and who Jenny becomes very close to.
There is a mystery surrounding Tamsin and Jenny will be called upon to help solve it, to try and save Tamsin. This is the core of the story and Beagle makes his way through the beginning, slowly and caringly until it builds to a very exciting climax; a battle for Tamsin's spirit against an evil that is truly scary. It's a rich, well-crafted story. The characters are all interesting, even down to those who play minor roles. And there are nice surprises in some. It's a growing up story for Jenny as well and that is also handled lovingly. I didn't mind taking my time with this at all. It was easy to put down but also easy to get back into Jenny's life and her story with Tamsin. Excellent. Just loved it. (4.5 stars)"
Check it out. Enjoy your week!
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