by Judy Budnitz
First published 2000
Ilana knows the old ways of the forest, where magic runs through everything like water through roots. She leaves the ancient eastern lands for America, carrying the forest's spirit with her. She wants to build her own story in this bright new country. But some things follow you across oceans. Her daughter Sashie inherits more than just her mother's eyes. Her granddaughter Mara learns that holding too tight makes things slip away. Her great-granddaughter Nomie discovers that the past never stays buried. In their world, men disappear like morning mist. Children refuse to follow the paths their mothers lay out. Survival means learning when to grip and when to let go. The women share wit sharper than winter wind and wiles deeper than forest pools. Each generation carries forward what the previous one planted, whether they want to or not. The old magic doesn't fade in the new world. It just finds different ways to bloom.
Genres: literary-fiction, family-life, historical-fiction, magical-realism
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, legacy, women-s-stories
Setting: America, Eastern Lands
Period: 19th-Century, 20th-Century, 21st-Century
295 pages · Hardcover · Flamingo