East: Edith Pattou

"East" by Edith Pattou is a sweeping romance and engaging fairy tale based on the older story "East of the Sun, West of the Moon." Nymah Rose is a wandering spirit, something that has always worried her mother, who believes that children inherit the qualities of the direction in which they were born. Most of her life, Nymah Rose believed she was born to the East, but her personality was of one born to the North. Rose's family is falling apart. Her sister is deathly ill and the family is about to lose their home.

One day, a huge white bear appears on their door step, and tells Rose's family that if she were to leave and come live with him, that her sister would recover and their family would again find fortune. Rose's adventurous spirit almost cannot resist. Even though her family doesn't approve, though they need her to go, she does indeed leave with the bear and travel magically to his castle.

The story is reminiscent of "Beauty and the Beast", and in fact is probably one of its many variants that's been told over the years in different cultures. Rose and the Bear's story is a moving one. The book is beautifully written and the characters all grow nicely. I would definitely recommend this book as a great read, though some of the story may be unsuitable for younger readers (though it is unlikely that anyone under the age of 12 would attempt this 400 pager).


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