The Crow-Girl: The Children of Crow Cove (The Children of Crow Cove Series, 1) - Softcover

Bredsdorff, Bodil

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0374400032 ISBN 13: 9780374400033

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), 2006

Synopsis

A timeless novel about the kindness of strangers

Near a little cove where a brook runs out to the sea live a girl and her grandmother. All alone with no neighbors at all, the two lead a peaceful existence. They have a house, dine on sea kale and mussels and sand snails, and build fires from driftwood. But the grandmother is very old. When the time comes that the girl must bury the woman, she makes up a funeral song about the birds she is watching: Two crows never fly alone, and death is never, ever past. The next day the same crows seem to beckon her, and so the Crow-Girl begins her journey, one in which she will meet people both warm and cold, hurt and hurtful. And the Crow-Girl, before she knows it, has the makings before her of a new family . . .

This lyrical story, with its characters' moments of darkness always overcome through incredible humanity, introduces a strong new voice for American readers.

About this title

About the Author:

Bodil Bredsdorff is a popular Danish children's book author. The Crow-Girl is her first novel to be published in the United States.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 4-7-Set in the indistinct past, this is the poignant story of a girl who lives with her grandmother on a lonely stretch of coast in Denmark. The two survive by collecting driftwood and carefully harvesting the gifts of the sea. The coziness of their life is punctuated by Grandmother's awareness that her own life is tenuous; she offers her granddaughter gentle advice that serves her well in the future. After the woman dies, the child bids farewell to her beloved home and follows a pair of crows as they fly along the shore. Hoping to find help, she arrives in a village where she works for a coldhearted woman who gives her the name Crow-Girl and tries to take advantage of her. Following her heart and the crows, the girl moves on in her search for a home. Her strength of character, innate kindness, and ability to care for herself prove invaluable in creating a new life and family. The justice of unfolding events and the satisfying ending will please readers, who will enjoy watching the pieces of the plot fall into place. The symbolism and power of names thread through the narrative. Touching on universal themes, this quiet adventure story has the depth and flavor of a tale from long ago and far away. It's a rewarding read for youngsters who are fond of the details and the simplicity of earlier times.
Carol A. Edwards, Sonoma County Library, Santa Rosa, CA
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About this edition

• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0374400032
• ISBN 13: 9780374400033
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 160