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meganpbell's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Cheryl Strayed’s Wild meets Diana Melmuth’s The Witching Year in this messy but endearingly earnest travel memoir. While grieving her father, writer Signe Pike rambles primarily across England, Ireland, and Scotland, seeking out stories and first-hand accounts of faeries, visiting faery landmarks and sacred places, and reckoning with a devoted but angry father she loved but never understood. Slow and not fully satisfying, but worth the read!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Grief
Minor: Drug abuse, Murder, and Colonisation
rosy_posy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Really enjoyable read, particularly the Isle of Man and her doubts on faerie existence.
mayagould's review against another edition
3.75
I'll read anything Signe Pike touches at this point.
lydiadrodgers's review
3.0
When my kids ask me if unicorns are real, or if dragons or hobbits or elves exist…I never say no. I always say “maybe! I’ve never seen one, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist!” I just can’t let go of the possibility. Maybe that’s my way of holding on to that enchantment and magic of childhood. My way of instilling a sense of wonder in them that was so dear to me when I was their age. This book spoke right to that place in my heart. I smiled while I read it. It was delightful and witty and hopeful.
catynatt's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
4.0
tildeereads's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0
If anyone misses being a child, used to love magic, fairies and is sick of the everyday repetitive life - you have to read this!
j_lange's review
4.0
I liked this book, though it has a few rough spots. I really want to learn more about Faeries and the author kindly give me a list of books in the back of this books, which is really nice. Not a long read, so go and pick it up if you want to journey with Signe to meet some scary, sweet, and generally awesome Faeries and humans.
witchqueen76's review
4.5
I loved this book! It was unlike anything I have read recently and made all the more special by the fact that I live nearby Glastonbury! It has made me want to go fairy spotting! Magical!
lbriss11's review against another edition
3.0
I was utterly charmed by this book. It kept me company on many a public transit commute. In fact, I almost missed a T stop because I was meditating about trolls!
In this memoir, Signe Pike quits her job as a New York City book editor and heads off to Ireland, England, and Scotland in search of faery encounters, but also in search of answers to the pain she still feels after her father's death. In addition to great storytelling, there is a lot of research put into this book. I loved the historical and mythological context Signe provides along the way. Truly, for so many years in human history, humans believed in the "fair folk." Signe wonders—and I guess I do too now—why don't we believe anymore?
I fell in love with Signe Pike's "The Lost Queen," so I knew I wanted to read her memoir and see if I couldn't find a little mysticism in my own life too.
In this memoir, Signe Pike quits her job as a New York City book editor and heads off to Ireland, England, and Scotland in search of faery encounters, but also in search of answers to the pain she still feels after her father's death. In addition to great storytelling, there is a lot of research put into this book. I loved the historical and mythological context Signe provides along the way. Truly, for so many years in human history, humans believed in the "fair folk." Signe wonders—and I guess I do too now—why don't we believe anymore?
I fell in love with Signe Pike's "The Lost Queen," so I knew I wanted to read her memoir and see if I couldn't find a little mysticism in my own life too.
shibajingnu's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. It's nice following the writer through her spiritual adventures. I find it really hard to concentrate on this book and was constantly distracted by other books. For some reason the story did not grab me throughout, however, it was bitter sweet and I kind of like the resolution of her journey.