by Margi Preus reads like a fairytale. Two young sisters in Norway are left with a cruel aunt when their mother dies and their father leaves for America to seek a better life. The cruel aunt favors her own children and treats her nieces badly. She sends the older girl (age 12) off to live with a grumpy farmer in exchange for payment. The sisters are painfully saddened to be parted. Astri, the older girl, runs away and makes a plan to be reunited with her sister. With magic and a mysterious mute girl she discovers hiding in the barn, Astri is determined to be free. ‘West of the Moon’ contains the mood of a Grimm’s tale. Children looking for older fairy tales will enjoy this.
