'Somewhere in the Arctic Circle, sixteen-face John, a shaman, learns that his first child, a soonchild, cannot hear the World Songs from her mother's womb. The World Songs are what inspire newborns to come out into the world, and John must find them for her. But how? The answer takes him through many lifetimes and many shape-shifts, as well as encounters with beasts, demons and a mysterious benevolent owl spirit, Ukpika, who is linked to John's past...'
The illustrations that run throughout this book by Alexis Deacon are absolutely stunning and it is worth looking at for them alone. The text is incredibly beautiful and I found myself re-reading sections to absorb myself within the language - this is a challenging read but beautifully put together.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/mar/07/soonchild-russell-hoban-review
No comments:
Post a Comment