The Sisters of the Winter Wood

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What to expect

'LUSCIOUS AND HYPNOTIC . . . A gripping, powerful story of family, sisterhood. I gulped it down! - Madeline Miller, author of Song of Achilles and Circe

'An incredible achievement - A rich literary fairytale' Robert Dinsdale, author of The Toymakers

Every family has a secret . . . and every secret tells a story.

In a remote village surrounded by forests on the border of Moldova and Ukraine, sisters Liba and Laya have been raised on the honeyed scent of their Mami's babka and the low rumble of their Tati's prayers. But when a troupe of mysterious men arrives, Laya falls under their spell - despite their mother's warning to be wary of strangers. And this is not the only danger lurking in the woods.

As dark forces close in on their small village, Liba and Laya discover a family secret passed down through generations. Faced with a magical heritage they never knew existed, the sisters realise the old fairy tales are true . . . and could save them all.

Captivating and boldly imaginative, Rena Rossner's debut invites you to enter a magical world of secrets, family ties and fairy tales weaving through history. Perfect for fans of The Bear and the Nightingale, Uprooted and The Night Circus.


'A graceful, poetic, deeply moving novel . . . a simply gorgeous book in every sense' Louisa Morgan

'The kind of book that Neil Gaiman and Naomi Novik might have cooked up together' Rob Dinsdale

'A stunning tapestry of a story unlike anything I've ever read. Laya and Liba are going to stick with me for a long, long time' Sara Holland, author of Everless

'An elegant tapestry of the love between sisters, the value of faith and family, and knowing one's true friends in times of peril' J. Kathleen Cheney

'Full of heart, history and enchantment' Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Critics Review

With luscious and hypnotic prose, Rena Rossner tells a gripping, powerful story of family, sisterhood, and two young women trying to find their way in the world. I gulped it down!
Madeline Miller, award-winning author of SONG OF ACHILLES and CIRCE
Rena Rossner weaves together fairytales with a strong current of faith to create a stunning tapestry of a story unlike anything I've ever read. Laya and Liba are going to stick with me for a long, long time
Sara Holland, author of EVERLESS
An incredible achievement - a rich literary fairytale . . . The kind of book that Neil Gaiman and Naomi Novik might have cooked up together, it's far too easy to get lost in the forests between the pages and disappear for days on end
Robert Dinsdale, author of THE TOYMAKERS
Mixes fairy tale, poetry, history, and heart to create an enchanting and mesmerizing tale of sisterly love. I adored this book!
Sarah Beth Durst, award-winning author of The Queens of Renthia series
A graceful, poetic, deeply moving novel . . . a simply gorgeous book in every sense
Louisa Morgan, author of A SECRET HISTORY OF WITCHES
[An] intricately crafted, gorgeously rendered debut . . . Full of heart, history, and enchantment
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (starred review)
[A] fantastical coming-of-age story [for] fans of Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver and Katherine Arden's The Bear and the Nightingale
BOOKLIST
Rossner weaves an elegant tapestry of the love between sisters, the value of faith and family, and knowing one's true friends in times of peril
J. Kathleen Cheney
This dark fairy tale about sisterly love and Jewish strength and courage, set against the backdrop of a deep and deadly winter forest, will haunt me for a long time. A powerful, emotional debut
Julie C. Dao, author of FOREST OF A THOUSAND LANTERNS
An enthralling debut
Lavie Tidhar, World Fantasy Award-winning author
Fairy tales, folklore, and poetry make an intoxicating brew in The Sisters of the Winter Wood, a luminous debut by an exciting new talent
Ilana C. Myer
THE SISTERS OF THE WINTER WOOD is a deeply moving story of sisterly love, steeped in the rich tradition of Jewish folklore. Atmospheric and enchanting, it's sure to delight fans of Naomi Novik's Uprooted
Lana Popovic, author of WICKED LIKE WILDFIRE
Rossner's debut weaves a richly detailed story of Jewish identity and sisterhood . . . Ambitious and surprising
KIRKUS
A vivid, fascinating, excellently drawn story of the fragility of peace and the resilience of love that reaches back into history,out into folklore, and forward into the present
Pamela Dean
Inspired by historical events in the Ukraine/Moldova borderland of the author's ancestors, this debut novel blends weighty themes - intercultural tensions, family feuds - with Russian and Jewish shapeshifting folklore. The result is a story that's both charming and chilling
SFX
A beautiful tale of sisterly love and Jewish identity [with] haunting, otherworldly allure
BOOKPAGE

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