Magical and Mundane -A Review of The Stolen Child

The Stolen Child by Lisa Carey

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Magic does not exist - at least, not in the sense of what it means in fairytales and fantasy novels. Some people equate the word “magic” with “wonder”, and claim that in that sense, magic has not really disappeared from the world. It still exists: in the old myths and legends, in the superstitions we practice - and in the hopes and dreams we hold close, but are too afraid to tell others about. Such things can be good or bad, of course - not all dreams are good, after all, and not all desires are healthy - but that does not make them any less magical. Dangerous, perhaps, but no less magical for all that.

It is that duality between the magical and the mundane that is among the themes crucial to The Stolen Child by Lisa Carey. The novel is set in the fictional St. Brigid’s Island on the west coast of Ireland: an isolated scrap of land where the islands inhabitants rely on the sea for their survival. But eking out that living can be difficult, and makes for tough, resilient folk, and a tight-knit community that keeps its secrets well and close.

( Read more... )