The Clarke, Susanna creator author. Sawdon, Victoria 1972- illustrator. text Fantasy fiction. enk 2024 2024 monographic eng

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60 pages : illustrations ; 21 cm The Wood at Midwinter is a haunting, fable-like novella set in the days approaching Christmas. It centres on Merowdis Scott, a peculiar and saintly 19-year‑old who possesses an uncanny ability to converse with animals and trees. One wintry afternoon, Merowdis takes her dogs—Pretty and Amandier—and her pig, Apple, for a walk in the woods. There, she encounters both a blackbird and a fox, and as dusk gathers, a mysterious presence emerges from the forest, forever altering her path waterstones.com Through her communion with the woodland—described almost as a cathedral—Merowdis expresses her longing for a child born in midwinter, who might bring light amid darkness. The forest reveals to her a vision: she cradles a bear cub, rather than a baby, understanding that a true saint must face sacrifice. The fox cryptically remarks that Merowdis now “belongs to the wood”. Her sister Ysolde returns and notices Merowdis’ disappearance and the abandoned bonnet. Merowdis eventually emerges, proclaiming that her child will come in a time of “cold and pain,” bringing joy. Yet, as she steps into the trees once more, Ysolde is left uncertain and frightened. The tale closes with a church painting depicting Merowdis in black, bearing a bear cub—a symbol of her sacrifice and holiness. / Susanna Clarke ; illustrated by Victoria Sawdon. Young women Fiction Coming of age Fiction Human-animal relationships Outdoor life Magic Fiction PR6103.L375 W66 2024 9781639734481 9781526675217 GCmBT 241018 20250612134919.0 991107415242906196 eng