Egg and Spoon
By Gregory Maguire
This book is about a young girl named Elena living in an impoverished Russian village with her ailing mother. When the train of an esteemed rich woman and her granddaughter stalls on the lines outside Elena's village an unexpected swap occurs, leaving her on the train posing as the woman's granddaughter. Determined to confront the Tsar about her villages ever increasing poverty and help her restore her mother's health, Elena begins a dazzling adventure in which she encounters a legendary fire bird, crotchety Baba Yaga and a priceless Faberge egg.
I really enjoyed reading this book, it is beautifully written, with complex characters that bring the story to life. It shows the value of generosity and selflessness towards others in a world where greed prevails. Over the course of the story Elena meets various new people and creatures several of whom she finds to be remarkably kind and forgiving despite their harsh appearances. The person who proves to be most significant in Elena's journey is Baba Yaga who uses a fair dosage of tough love to help her mentally mature and prepare for the journey ahead. It is clear that the author intended Baba Yaga's character as a replacement mother figure for Elena to learn from and form a bond with, indeed by the end of the novel the reader is left with a clear sense that Elena has grown far more in those few months spent with the witch then she would have otherwise. Though some parts of the novel were a bit lack-luster and perhaps extended for longer than totally necessary these were very few and far between.
This book is suitable for a wide range of audiences though the plot and vocabulary are relatively advanced and probably more comprehensible to those over the age of eleven. Overall the author has done a marvellous job of melding together complex themes with a light-hearted plot that is appealing to all ages and can be enjoyed many times over.
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