Thank you to GetRedPr, She Writes Press, #partner, for an advanced copy of The Girl in the White Cape in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: She Writes Press
Published: July 25, 2023
Summary:
Fifteen-year-old Elena lives in a church attic in San Francisco’s Richmond neighborhood, where she is cared for by her guardian, a kind Russian priest named Father Al. Six days a week, Father Al sends her out of Our Lady, across the meadows and ponds of Golden Gate Park, and all the way to Baba Vera’s house on Taraval Street for Baba’s version of school.
Unlike regular school, however, Elena’s learning is unnerving. Baba Vera’s preposterous demands, dizzying antics, and house—which is full of skeletons, brooms, strange implements, and guinea pigs, among other oddities—seem straight out of a Russian fairy tale Father Al used to read to Elena . . . not life in 2020. If not for her beloved doll, Kukla—bequeathed to her by the mother she never got to know, but of whom she often dreams—Elena would be overwhelmed. Yet she works hard at every task given her, understanding intuitively that there is a purpose to every one of her grandmother’s strange assignments.
Frank, a young taxi driver, enters Elena’s world on the day he delivers a strange, witch-like woman named Anya to Our Lady. Upon meeting Anya and Elena, a dream-world begins to spin for him—and he feels a deep, protective pull toward Elena. In the days that follow, Frank devotes himself to saving her from the harm he is sure Anya intends toward her. What he comes to understand, as he enters more deeply into Elena’s story, is that she has magic of her own. He thought he was supposed to save her—but in the end, the two of them may just save each other.
My thoughts:
While I may not be familiar with the Russian fairy tale that this story this adapted from, I still really enjoyed it. In fact, it left me wanting to go back & read Vasilisa the Wise as well as other Russian fairy tales because I think I would really like them!
I don’t read magical realism very often, but I loved the way the author used it her in her story…not too heavily, but just little vibes here & there. It seemed to fit the overall story, as this felt both historical & modern throughout.
I love a good coming-of-age story & this one really tugged at my heartstrings. Elena is a character you can’t help but fall in love with, living such a sheltered life.
While this is a quick read, I appreciated the themes the author was able to weave into the story – finding yourself, acceptance, & friendship. And let’s not forget this amazing cover…is it not so eye-catching? It really encapsulates the mood of this book!
I find it hard to understand (and read) magical realism though I’ve given it a try. Too much of a skeptic I think.
Author
I can understand that. I don’t read a lot of it, but this one with the fairy tale woven in was quite enjoyable.