Blue Window by Adina Rishe Gewirtz (review)

On the longest night of the year, five siblings—thirteen-year-old twins Susan and Max, eleven-year-old Nell, eight-year-old Kate, and Jean, the youngest at seven—fall through the family-room window and find themselves magically transported to the Domain of the Genius, capital city of Ganbihar, greatest city in all of Loam. Immediately, the five notice the differences in this strange, pre-industrial world, from the distorted and angular faces of the people they encounter to the frenzied rallies delineating the “usefuls” from the “discards,” poor people who just don’t make the cut. Gerwirtz adeptly positions Ganbihar somewhere between Lewis’ Narnia and and Atwood’s Gilead with its high-fantasy mythology, rich and complex use of language, and unabashed sexism. While the five child protagonists try to figure out a way home, many of the jagged-mawed natives believe them—particularly Max—to be the key to reversing the great change that occurred many generations ago and returning smoothness to their faces. The echoes of C. S. Lewis get a little overloud at times, but they’re satisfyingly employed, especially as Max’s eventual betrayal causes a Pevensie-sized rift in the already complicated and relatable sibling relationships.