Seven Wild Sisters: A Modern Fairy Tale by Charles de Lint (review)

In this cozy, smartly developed companion novel to The Cats of Tanglewood Forest (BCCB 4/13), many decades have passed, and Lillian, the then-young protagonist, is now a sharp old woman who befriends Sarah Jane, one of seven sisters who live on a farm nearby. Sarah Jane learns more than she expected from this wise new pal, particularly about the worlds that exist parallel to her own, after she stumbles upon an otherworldly creature and decides to help him; her efforts thrust Lillian, Sarah Jane, and ultimately Sarah Jane’s irascible sisters into a battle going on between two warring fairy groups. There is an elegance and thoughtfulness to both the text and accompanying illustrations that elevates the story; a careful reader will be well rewarded with a solid mystery on the traditional side of the world and a complex, intriguing storyline on the magical side. Lush, intricate drawings, some previously appearing in a prior limited edition printing of this book, reflect the richness and outside-of-time feeling of the story itself. Folktale and fairy tale fans who are seeking a longer adventure into which to settle will find this a perfect fit, and they’ll undoubtedly want to go back to Cats and see who Lillian was before she was a mysterious old woman with links to two worlds.