Guest
From the master of spookiness, Mary Downing Hahn. When malicious sprites called the Kinde Folke snatch Mollie’s baby brother and replace him with a hideous changeling, Mollie travels through eerie, perilous lands to save him.
When her adorable baby brother is replaced by an ugly, ill-tempered changeling, Mollie is determined to find the so-called Kinde Folke who took baby Thomas, return the changeling she calls Guest, and make them give Thomas back. Natural and magical obstacles and her own reckless temperament make her journey arduous and full of dangers, and a plot rich in surprises and twists makes this book a must-read for Mary Downing Hahn’s fans.
Title: Guest
Author: Mary Downing Hahn
Genre: Middle Grade
Hardcover, 224 pages
Publishing Date: September 3rd, 2019
Publishing House: Clarion Books
ISBN: 0358067316 (ISBN13: 9780358067313)
Edition Language: English
My Review
"Up the airy mountain
Down the rushy glen
We dare not go a-hunting
For fear of little men."
Changeling tales have been around in European fairy tales just as long as any other trope of the genre that mystified its tellers and listeners with the unexplained physical or behavioral peculiarities not yet explained by science at the time. One of the most deeply rooted notions was the abduction of human infants by The Fair Folk replacing the child with one of their own for the unknowing parents to raise it, whilst their infant is taken to the Land of Fairie. Believed to be in particular danger of being replaced were boys and children with fair hair and therefore were often dressed as girls to deter the fey folk from snatching children. A commonly believed deterrent was also the use of metal items like horseshoes or bells placed above the cribs/doorways in the old times that have crossed over into other myths and can be found in most older homes today still.
There are also common sub tropes in changeling tales, such as Doppelgaenger stories, Rags to Riches and muggle tales, where the mother of the stolen child is also bestowed with the pregnancy of a fey creature with the outcome of a (possibly malevolent) fairy child.
Mary Downing Hahn's middle-grade story Guest followed the expected path of the changeling tale almost to a T with a sideline plot that keeps the story interesting and young readers hooked to it. Mollie has an adorable baby brother but they dare not speak of how cute he is in fear that he might be stolen/exchanged by (the not so kind) The Kinde Folke for one of their ugly creatures. Despite their best efforts though, he is replaced with an ugly changeling that behaves awful and is hard to love.
In hopes of their Thomas to be treated nicely wherever he is, they give their best to make the changeling happy. As time passes never trying to lose a foul word about the baby and playing with him constantly to make him happy, Mollie's mother nurses him till she withers away, and her father leaves the family because he can't stand the hideous changeling. Mollie feels like she has to take action. She takes the changeling and a small pack of provisions to find The Kinde Folke to return the ugly creature in exchange for Thomas.
A daringly brave move to go beyond the borders where dangers lurk, Mollie soon finds herself surrounded in deep dark forests, meets strangers that tell her to turn around and wanders into hair raising situations continues with a mission that might cost her life.
The unthinkable happens when desperation calls for her to rely on the ugly changeling and something of mutuality/friendship begins.
When she finally finds her Thomas, the unthinkable has happened...he does not know who she is and his heart is tainted by the not so kind The Kinde Folke. From here, Mollie's adventure continues no less dangerous with the dark magic of the forest, its vile creatures and a message of hope.
Will Mollie make it back to her family with her brother?
A tale to gasp and hold your breath at times. This middle-grade adventure is filled with folklore and magic true to the old ways of telling tales imbibing a dark atmospheric world of wonder and flutter in the hearts of listeners/readers reminiscent of childhood. The writing style is very traditionally kept and the author's voice is beautifully transient of the old wisdom in fairy tales. Without a doubt, it can hold its place next to the best of writings from folklores of earlier times.
Not so much refurbished, but brought to life is the changeling tale in Guest and not to be missed by those lovers of the genre or those that just want to experience the wonders and fears of childhood again.
Highly recommend it.
Happy Reading :)
