Synopsis
The stunning new novella from No 1 bestselling author Joanne Harris: Orfeia is a gender-flipped retelling of the Orpheus Myth, beautifully illustrated by Bonnie Helen Hawkins.
When you can find me an acre of land, Every sage grows merry in time, Between the ocean and the sand Then will you be united again. So begins a beautiful and tragic quest as a heartbroken mother sets out to save her lost daughter, through the realms of the real, of dream, and even into the underworld itself. But determination alone is not enough. For to save something precious, she must give up something precious, be it a song, a memory, or her freedom itself . . .
Praise for Joanne’s previous novellas: “It may be a little book, but it has considerable power to enchant” – METRO on A Pocketful of Crows
“Love, treachery, the call of the ocean: this wintry modern fairy tale features all three… perfect for anyone who loves a good story.” MAIL ON SUNDAY on The Blue Salt Road
My Review
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading Orfeia, not being aware of the myth of Orpheus.
I was enchanted by Joanne’s writing from the very first page. We meet Fay in the opening pages, struggling with her grief at not only losing her husband but also her daughter. So begins her journey though the London beyond all the way to the underworld.
What will Fay be willing to give up in order to save her daughter? As a parent myself I was willing Fay on through all the trials and challenges she encounters on her journey. Where she will also discover the truth about herself.
The language Joanne uses just captures you, she weaves a spell with her words. I was drawn in and for a short story I was totally and utterly captivated. It felt as if I was walking through a dream. Everything was so beautifully described, no detail unnecessary, the magic of this book is bewitching.
Interspersed throughout the pages are the most intricate illustrations. For this reason, I would strongly advise you to buy a physical copy of the book or read it on a screen like an Ipad. The kindle does not do them justice, in fact I will be buying myself a physical copy. It is a book I know I will continually revisit and find something new and wonderful in its pages.
Put simply this is a stunning book, full of beautiful imagery and wonderful prose. This was my first book by Joanne, it will not be my last.
My thanks to Anne for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Joanne for a copy of her book in exchange for an honest review.
Author Bio
Joanne Harris is an Anglo-French writer, whose books include fourteen novels, two cookbooks and many short stories. Her work is extremely diverse, covering aspects of magic realism, suspense, historical fiction, mythology and fantasy.
In 2000, her 1999 novel CHOCOLAT was adapted to the screen, starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. CHOCOLAT has sold over a million copies in the UK alone and was a global bestseller.
She is an Honorary Fellow of St Catherine’s College, Cambridge, and in 2013 was awarded an MBE by the Queen. Her hobbies are listed in Who’s Who as ‘mooching, lounging, strutting, strumming, priest-baiting and quiet subversion’. She plays bass guitar in a band first formed when she was 16 and runs the musical storytelling show Storytime. Joanne lives with her husband in Yorkshire, about 15 miles from the place she was born.
Find out more at www.joanne-harris.co.uk or follow her on Twitter @Joannechocolat
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