Guinevere and Ennis Sharpe live a storybook childhood with their author mother and actor father in a beloved old farmhouse in the woods of Vermont, surrounded by nature, artists, and their own imaginations. Or at least that’s how the outside world sees it. In reality, the children don’t go to school, are often hungry, and something is wrong with their father. When their mother’s fantasy series explodes into popularity, Guinevere and Ennis discover that her main characters bear a shocking resemblance, and even borrow names from, the two of them. Their newfound fame doesn’t make their lives any easier, but at least they have each other.
After a tragic fire that only the children survive, Guinevere and Ennis are separated and grow up apart, and their mother’s books never finished. As adults, Guinevere works for her mother’s publisher, promoting her decades old books and keeping her legacy alive. Ennis is a much lauded and mysterious artist, whose installations are as magical and immersive as his mother’s books once were. The siblings no longer speak, but Ennis’ latest art installation, Mother, is threatening to bring to the surface a past that Guinevere has worked so hard to keep hidden, even from herself.
Mired in memories, magic, and the creepy heart of old fairy tales, this book will especially ring true to anyone who grew up on a steady diet of children’s fantasy novels. Reading these pages is akin to revisiting some old favorites, only to find them twisted and scarier than you remember. The Children is atmospheric, smart, and scary is a way that feels ancient and primal, like someone is walking behind you and ready to pounce. I was only able to read this book a little at a time, when all I really wanted to do was devour it whole.
-Hannah, Programs and Outreach
