Barefoot on the wind by Zoe Marriott
The Moonlit Lands series, bk 2. Walker Books, 2016. ISBN
9781406333374
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Fantasy. This beautifully written retelling
of Beauty and the beast is a companion novel to Shadows
on the Moon, and takes the reader back to the Moonlit
Lands in a Japan like setting. Hana is a young woman, who is
confined to a remote village surrounded by a forest. The trees
whisper to her saying 'There is a monster in the forest' which Hana
knows for a fact, as many of the villagers have disappeared, never
to be seen again - one of them her beloved brother. When Hana's
father is taken, she is the only one in her village who is prepared
to try and find him. She is successful, but is determined to kill
the beast and goes off again in search of it, encountering much that
is magical and more dangerous than she could have imagined.
At the beginning of the book Marriott has written about her idea for
the book and her wish to write it from 'a feminist perspective,
asking 'What if Beauty went after the Beast of her own free will?
And how could the Beast redeem himself in order to truly deserve her
forgiveness . . . and her love?' The author is very successfully in
achieving her aim. Hana is a resourceful and clever person, who has
the strength of character to pursue what she knows is right. In
doing so she is able to forgive not only the Beast and her father
for their mistakes but she is able to come to terms with her own
actions when her brother went missing. This has a ripple effect on
the magic in the forest.
The strong imagery in the book provides an atmospheric background to
Hana's adventures. It is easy to imagine the shadowy woods, the
dense thorn hedge, the frozen lake and the evil creations that
inhabit the forest. The petty mindedness of the villagers and the
isolation of Hana also adds to the dark and brooding atmosphere.
This is a really good retelling of the fairy tale and while it is
suitable for younger readers, teens will also enjoy it for its
unusual setting and wonderful characters.
Pat Pledger