Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
This thing sat on our bookshelf in middle school, and I can't even count the number of times I pushed it aside while looking for new stuff to read. It was written by the same author as my all-time favorite book, Mara Daughter of the Nile, and I always meant to pick it up...but somehow I never got around to it. Well, 15 years later, I found it at my local library.
Eloise McGraw's writing career spanned nearly 50 years, and she manages to create so much depth within a relatively simple plot. The protagonist of The Moorchild is Moql'nkkn, a half-human, half-folk changeling. At first she's raised by the faeries, but she fails to fit in and is deemed "a danger to the band". She's exchanged for a servile human baby and must start life all over again with a new name - Saaski - and a completely new identity. Over time she forgets that she was ever a member of the folk, and she cannot understand why the superstitious people in her village treat her with such suspicion and contempt. Caught between two worlds, and belonging nowhere, Saaski/Moql must come to an understanding about her true nature and find a place she can call her own.
This is definitely an outcast/misfit story and will resonate with anyone who was ostracized as a child. Even though Saaski is a strange and even occasionally unsettling character, it is impossible not to empathize with her. I was rooting for her the entire time, and the ending was very satisfying.
I had a lot of fun with this book...I've been reading it out loud to my mom while she gardens, doing my best impression of an Irish accent during the dialogue bits. A+ summer entertainment; 4.5/5 stars.
Eloise McGraw's writing career spanned nearly 50 years, and she manages to create so much depth within a relatively simple plot. The protagonist of The Moorchild is Moql'nkkn, a half-human, half-folk changeling. At first she's raised by the faeries, but she fails to fit in and is deemed "a danger to the band". She's exchanged for a servile human baby and must start life all over again with a new name - Saaski - and a completely new identity. Over time she forgets that she was ever a member of the folk, and she cannot understand why the superstitious people in her village treat her with such suspicion and contempt. Caught between two worlds, and belonging nowhere, Saaski/Moql must come to an understanding about her true nature and find a place she can call her own.
This is definitely an outcast/misfit story and will resonate with anyone who was ostracized as a child. Even though Saaski is a strange and even occasionally unsettling character, it is impossible not to empathize with her. I was rooting for her the entire time, and the ending was very satisfying.
I had a lot of fun with this book...I've been reading it out loud to my mom while she gardens, doing my best impression of an Irish accent during the dialogue bits. A+ summer entertainment; 4.5/5 stars.
Read this book quite a few years ago when I was younger, and I can't remember another novel involving fae/fairies of Irish and Scottish folklore that hit quite the same as this one. So I was pleasantly surprised that upon rereading it, I loved it just as much as when I first encountered it.
Moql/Saaski, the main character, is half-human and half-Folk and doesn't quite fit into both worlds - this fact made painfully obvious when she's exchanged against her will with a human child, and suffers the alienation, bullying and eventual hatred of the village she grows up in. Somehow, miraculously, she manages to retain a good heart, possibly because of the lack of definition for emotions like love and hate in the Mound she comes from but also, quite possibly, because she's simply a good person with ironically more humanity than the humans among her. And yet, when she finally encounters the Folk and the Mound again, she is able to see that their carefreeness and lack of responsibility can also cause harm, and she decides to have no part of it.
The book may not be as action-packed as others in the fantasy genre, but it never detracted from the plot for me. I loved the fact that Saaski was able to find a true friend and companion in Tam, and that her foster parents truly did love her despite the increasing danger of harboring her, particularly when the other villagers tried to persecute her in a manner reminiscent of the Salem Witch Trials. Saaski, despite her young age, held fast to her principles in a way that is so rare for someone in her situation, helping right the wrongs caused by her exchange by rescuing Anwara's and Yanno's true daughter from the Folk's grasp.
As for the ending, it still makes my heart ache for Saaski while simultaneously cheering her on. She walks away from both of the worlds she has known, fully aware of the fact that she will never truly belong to either one of them, and accepts that fact wholeheartedly. It's a good reminder, I think, that the labels and identities that exist in human society will never truly encompass the entirety of a living being, all the quirks and strengths and flaws that make someone unique, and that that's how it should be. And it's also a sobering reflection of the drastic lack of love and acceptance in the world, the pressure to conform to one category or risk being harmed by the masses, which has not really changed for much of human history. I kept thinking back to the Salem Witch Trials throughout the book, and when I looked up the history/folklore of changelings I also came across the depressing true stories of Michael Leahy and Bridget Cleary, yet more illustrations of humans' propensity for cruelty when they are both uneducated, superstitious and xenophobic. I have to wonder how much the author was inspired by these stories, particularly since Saaski came very close to mortal harm several times in the story; I feel like the impact was somewhat lost on me when I was younger and had less life experience, making me glad I've reread it now.
One last favorite thing about this book - the moor. I love the wild and dangerous beauty with which it was depicted, and this is a setting I've rarely encountered elsewhere, whether in person or in literature. McGraw's writing truly sings off the page at times, and I'd feel like I was flying along the moor with Saaski, with the same wanderlust and appreciation of its mysteries, and that's just one of the many reasons this book will have an enduring place in my heart.
Moql/Saaski, the main character, is half-human and half-Folk and doesn't quite fit into both worlds - this fact made painfully obvious when she's exchanged against her will with a human child, and suffers the alienation, bullying and eventual hatred of the village she grows up in. Somehow, miraculously, she manages to retain a good heart, possibly because of the lack of definition for emotions like love and hate in the Mound she comes from but also, quite possibly, because she's simply a good person with ironically more humanity than the humans among her. And yet, when she finally encounters the Folk and the Mound again, she is able to see that their carefreeness and lack of responsibility can also cause harm, and she decides to have no part of it.
The book may not be as action-packed as others in the fantasy genre, but it never detracted from the plot for me. I loved the fact that Saaski was able to find a true friend and companion in Tam, and that her foster parents truly did love her despite the increasing danger of harboring her, particularly when the other villagers tried to persecute her in a manner reminiscent of the Salem Witch Trials. Saaski, despite her young age, held fast to her principles in a way that is so rare for someone in her situation, helping right the wrongs caused by her exchange by rescuing Anwara's and Yanno's true daughter from the Folk's grasp.
As for the ending, it still makes my heart ache for Saaski while simultaneously cheering her on. She walks away from both of the worlds she has known, fully aware of the fact that she will never truly belong to either one of them, and accepts that fact wholeheartedly. It's a good reminder, I think, that the labels and identities that exist in human society will never truly encompass the entirety of a living being, all the quirks and strengths and flaws that make someone unique, and that that's how it should be. And it's also a sobering reflection of the drastic lack of love and acceptance in the world, the pressure to conform to one category or risk being harmed by the masses, which has not really changed for much of human history. I kept thinking back to the Salem Witch Trials throughout the book, and when I looked up the history/folklore of changelings I also came across the depressing true stories of Michael Leahy and Bridget Cleary, yet more illustrations of humans' propensity for cruelty when they are both uneducated, superstitious and xenophobic. I have to wonder how much the author was inspired by these stories, particularly since Saaski came very close to mortal harm several times in the story; I feel like the impact was somewhat lost on me when I was younger and had less life experience, making me glad I've reread it now.
One last favorite thing about this book - the moor. I love the wild and dangerous beauty with which it was depicted, and this is a setting I've rarely encountered elsewhere, whether in person or in literature. McGraw's writing truly sings off the page at times, and I'd feel like I was flying along the moor with Saaski, with the same wanderlust and appreciation of its mysteries, and that's just one of the many reasons this book will have an enduring place in my heart.
one of the very first fairy books I ever read that did not contain sweet fairies.
Still one of my most favorite books from my childhood. Relevant at every stage of life. For anyone who has ever felt alone. I can't wait to share this with my own children.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I was surprised to be so engaged by this lovely, well-written book! It’s got all of my favorite things: Celtic old-country setting, magical fantasy, social critique, and a main character who does not fit in.
I have always been an outsider and an outcast because I am just not like others. Later in life, I realized that I probably have Aspergers, which is on the autism spectrum, and that my mom and siblings do too. Years ago, I read a response to a question of “why is Autism a relatively ‘new’ disorder?” The response was that it’s always been around, but maybe we thought of them as ‘changelings’ who were not like “normal” children. The real child was stolen away and replaced with a solemn, deep-eyed, “touched” child who did not always understand social norms.
Reading this account of a protagonist changeling was quite refreshing and gave me someone with whom to relate, especially in regards to being teased and misunderstood. All weird children and adults should read this book!
I have always been an outsider and an outcast because I am just not like others. Later in life, I realized that I probably have Aspergers, which is on the autism spectrum, and that my mom and siblings do too. Years ago, I read a response to a question of “why is Autism a relatively ‘new’ disorder?” The response was that it’s always been around, but maybe we thought of them as ‘changelings’ who were not like “normal” children. The real child was stolen away and replaced with a solemn, deep-eyed, “touched” child who did not always understand social norms.
Reading this account of a protagonist changeling was quite refreshing and gave me someone with whom to relate, especially in regards to being teased and misunderstood. All weird children and adults should read this book!
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Five things about The Moorchild by Eloise McGraw 📚📚📚📚📚
1. The depth and meat of this fairytale that explores themes of identity, inclusion/exclusion, and culture floored me. I LOVED it!
2. It’s got all the mystical and otherworldly allure you want from a fantasy but also all the earth bound reality you need to keep your equilibrium.
3. The characters are well developed. The pacing is perfect! The action sequences easy to imagine.
4. I wish I’d had this book when I was a child. Alas, it was after my time.
5. I’m glad I’ve finally found it as an adult and I think more adults (and kids) should read it. It will enrich your life and make you think as much as it feeds your imagination.
1. The depth and meat of this fairytale that explores themes of identity, inclusion/exclusion, and culture floored me. I LOVED it!
2. It’s got all the mystical and otherworldly allure you want from a fantasy but also all the earth bound reality you need to keep your equilibrium.
3. The characters are well developed. The pacing is perfect! The action sequences easy to imagine.
4. I wish I’d had this book when I was a child. Alas, it was after my time.
5. I’m glad I’ve finally found it as an adult and I think more adults (and kids) should read it. It will enrich your life and make you think as much as it feeds your imagination.
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism