Synopsis: Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders... but her father isn't a very good one. Free to lend and reluctant to collect, he has loaned out most of his wife's dowry and left the family on the edge of poverty--until Miryem steps in. Hardening her heart against her fellow villagers' pleas, she sets out to collect what is owed--and finds herself more than up to the task. When her grandfather loans her a pouch of silver pennies, she brings it back full of gold.
But having the reputation of being able to change silver to gold can be more trouble than it's worth--especially when her fate becomes tangled with the cold creatures that haunt the wood, and whose king has learned of her reputation and wants to exploit it for reasons Miryem cannot understand.
Review: Spinning Silver is another one of Naomi Novik's beautiful reimaginings of a classic tale. The beginning of the story focuses on Miryem as she tries to survive this harsh world. She is not the only main character, though. While the story starts with her, Novik slowly pulls background characters to the forefront of the novel and gives them stories of their own. I love the way that she does this as it allows us to get familiar with one character at a time, and better understand their place in the overarching story. I will say that, while each perspective was interesting, they didn't feel all that distinctive. Especially considering some of them were siblings. At times, it was tricky understanding who were were viewing the story through.
I need to re-read Uprooted because this might have actually surpassed it in the way of plot. Miryem starts as the Rumpelstilskin character, but the book quickly evolves into an adventure all on its own. Though, it never quite leaves this Rumpelstilskin anchor and plays around with that role in other characters. The way Novik accomplishes this is astonishing. It makes every character, every movement, important. The one negative thing I have to say is that, by the end of the book, I felt like it was losing steam a little. That being said, I wasn't able to read this for a few days and that *might* also be a factor. Regardless, this was a fantastic read and I hope Novik continues to write these kinds of books. I would also take note of the numerous jokes against Jewish people that litter this book. If anyone is particularly sensitive to that, they might want to avoid this.
Excellent re-telling of Rumpelstilskin that feels like a standout on its own.
5 howls
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