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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
The Moorchild I have read several times through my life, and each time it means more to me. I have never felt like a person who belonged, and so the story of a literal changeling appealed to me. Yet there's even more to this story than belonging, and learning to find your place-- it's magical in a whole different way.
Not a lot of books hold up to the test of time, but this one does. A favorite for the ages, and one I frequently return to.
Not a lot of books hold up to the test of time, but this one does. A favorite for the ages, and one I frequently return to.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In a perfect world, this story would not exist.
In a perfect world, any child, Fae or otherwise, would be loved by their parents from the moment of their birth and never be made to feel alone, ostracized, or “other.”
In a perfect world, Saaski would need no home other than her cottage, no parents other than Anwara and Yanno.
But we do not live in a perfect world.
***
The Moorchild is not a perfect book. The names in particular are inconsistent and difficult to place within any recognizable setting. Are we in Scotland? Ireland? Finland? Some fantasy realm?
And yet reading The Moorchild put me in mind of the many stories I have read about foster care and adoption. I am not an adoptee nor have I ever been in foster care, but it is still a subject near to my heart. In a perfect world, no child would be a Saaski, shunned first by her birth family and then later by her adoptive one.
But we don’t live in a perfect world, as The Moorchild continually acknowledges through Saaski’s isolation and loneliness, her feeling of not belonging, her anger and her tired resignation. No, the world is not perfect…but it can be hopeful. Adoptions do not always “work out.” Children do not always bond into a new family unit. But they can be changed for the better by their experiences.
Ultimately, The Moorchild leaves off with the bittersweet hope that one day, every child will find the place they belong, even if it is not quite in one realm or the other. And that’s quite beautiful.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Abandonment
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2015/12/2015-book-305.html
I liked McGraw's Greensleeves a lot, so decided to check out something else by her. This was a very different sort of story, but no less compelling. And it's a Newbery Honor Book! It centers on a young girl growing up in a small town--who is actually a fairy changeling, cast out from her former home. It has a timeless sort of quality that I really appreciated. I wish more of McGraw's books were available as e-books, I'd really like to read them. A/A-.
Posted by Alicia K. at 7:22 PM
I liked McGraw's Greensleeves a lot, so decided to check out something else by her. This was a very different sort of story, but no less compelling. And it's a Newbery Honor Book! It centers on a young girl growing up in a small town--who is actually a fairy changeling, cast out from her former home. It has a timeless sort of quality that I really appreciated. I wish more of McGraw's books were available as e-books, I'd really like to read them. A/A-.
Posted by Alicia K. at 7:22 PM
I ABSOLUTELY adored this book when I was younger. I wish that I knew where my copy of it was...I would read it again!
challenging
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I originally read this when I was 12 years old and recently decided to reread it. I enjoyed it, but I remember enjoying it much more when I was 12. The pacing was slower than I remembered, but it did have the cottagecore vibes I was looking for too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Racism
Moderate: Racial slurs
Minor: Confinement, Infertility, Sexual assault
This was fantastic. Anyone with an interest in Fae lore should find something worth reading here, but there's also a very honest examination of human nature. Typically, people fear and drive out what they don't understand, and their prejudice can't be simply undone by a few kindnesses. It should be noted, though, that if you're looking for something harrowing, you won't get anything like that until the very end. Moql/Saaski's story is largely told through her everyday existence. The village's ignorance and fear of her stems from their lifestyle… which is very isolated, rooted in routine, and with successes/failures hanging on a thread. Keep all that in mind, and you'll see why a strange child could throw everyone into a tizzy.
Also keep in mind that large shows of magic are too flashy for this kind of story. When everyone knows everyone, is watching everyone, the real struggle lies within the seemingly mundane, day-to-day existence. Being normal when you're simply not-- that's the harshest struggle.
Poor Moql/Saaski belongs neither here nor there, but eventually finds a way to belong with someone else. Though her future is uncertain, she'll have to make her own way, whatever it may be. Thankfully she has the opportunity to set things right before the end.
I think the only unbelievable part was how the village seemingly forgets about her as time goes on, though whether that's because they're shallow people or because of some kind of magic, I can't be sure of. She was there for a little over 10 years! Don't tell me she's easily forgotten.
Regardless, it's such a well-crafted story that I'd recommend this to anyone who wants a good Folk read, needs something for the classroom, or wants to give their child a high-quality story.
Also keep in mind that large shows of magic are too flashy for this kind of story. When everyone knows everyone, is watching everyone, the real struggle lies within the seemingly mundane, day-to-day existence. Being normal when you're simply not-- that's the harshest struggle.
Poor Moql/Saaski belongs neither here nor there, but eventually finds a way to belong with someone else. Though her future is uncertain, she'll have to make her own way, whatever it may be. Thankfully she has the opportunity to set things right before the end.
I think the only unbelievable part was how the village seemingly forgets about her as time goes on, though whether that's because they're shallow people or because of some kind of magic, I can't be sure of. She was there for a little over 10 years! Don't tell me she's easily forgotten.
Regardless, it's such a well-crafted story that I'd recommend this to anyone who wants a good Folk read, needs something for the classroom, or wants to give their child a high-quality story.
This was a really sweet story about a Changeling from the Moors of Ireland who got swapped with a human baby. I found this book for free at a teacher market and picked it up because of the Newbery Medal emblem, front cover, and title. It sounded enchanting and it was. Simple, sweet, fun read!
'To all children who have ever felt different' reads the dedication. This book was such beautiful and charming read. I received it as a child and never fully read it until last year. How I wish I had read it then! A story about changelings, fairy folk and magic but also about belonging and feeling different. Saaski/Moql is sent to live as a changeling and remembers little of her time with the Folk. She grows up a difficult child and is regarded with suspicion by the town folk. Slowly, memories of her previous life trickle in and she goes on a mission to rescue the child of her human parents.
The writing was lovely and despite Saaski being very 'other' and a hard character to 'like', I found myself rooting for her and her struggles.
The writing was lovely and despite Saaski being very 'other' and a hard character to 'like', I found myself rooting for her and her struggles.
I saw this recommended repeatedly as a good changeling novel and was not disappointed. The prose is lovely and the characters rich. The world is small and intimate, the story of one village and one child and her family (both Folk and human). I cried more than once. It's the kind of story I want to share with little kids I know.