Book Review: Seven Wild Sisters

Seven Wild Sisters: A Modern Fairy Tale by Charles De Lint is actually a companion novel to The Cats of Tanglewood Forest (which I never realized until after I read this one) and Seven Wild Sisters can easily stand on its own.  Reminiscent of a classic fairy tale story, Sarah Jane gets entangled in a long-standing fairy feud after saving a ‘sangman’s life.  It’s not long before her six sisters, the old woman at the top of the hill and the mythical Apple Tree Man are also involved and Sarah Jane must find the courage to save everyone including herself.
I really enjoyed this modern fairy tale with clear descriptions of the rolling hills of Tanglewood Forest, the seven sisters, each with their own distinct personalities and the possibility of magic, if only you let yourself believe and look just a little closer.  As I was reading this story, it reminded of the same style as The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp by Kathy Appelt.  Both are written in that classic, fairy tale style that reminds you of Hans Christian Andersen or The Brothers Grimm, but are their own unique stories that are strongly rooted in the fairy tale genre, but hold their own.
Don’t miss the author singing and playing the banjo with songs based on the story – The Apple Tree Man and The Dillard Sisters Ramble.
If you’re looking for a new fairy tale, then this is one to experience!
Title: Seven Wild Sisters: A Modern Fairy Tale
Author: Charles De Lint
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 2014
Page Number: 272 pgs.