Inkwell Michelle's 30 Second Book Review

Moonheart by Charles de Lint
My tattered mass market copy of Moonheart shows proof on its creased cover that it has been well-read and thoroughly loved. This review of an older book (published in 1984) came about through a discussion with fellow bookseller Cristin about the kind of books that make your fingers itch with a yearning to fly through the pages. Moonheart is a delightful, fantastical book dense with mythology (Native American and Welsh), magic, and music. Sara Kendall and her Uncle Jamie co-own a wonderful, eclectic antiques and books shop in Ottawa. They live in a house that straddles our world and the “otherworld”, a primeval forest of ancient magic. When Sara discovers a Native American medicine bag with a gold ring, a bone disc, and a feather inside, her fate becomes entwined with the mysterious artifacts. Although it is so difficult to describe, Moonheart is a rich, vivid story that will appeal to fans of literary fantasy such as John Crowley’s Little, Big and Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell.