The Bear and the Nightingale, by Katherine Arden. Penguin Books, 2017.
Bookseller Lance Abramson writes, “The Bear and the Nightingale is a gem. Arden has done her homework. A big down overcoat of a book, it is stuffed with Russian folklore, medieval social hierarchies, the vagaries of rural Russian life, and the conflict between the Orthodox Church and ancient folk religion. She juggles the research lightly though, and tells a captivating tale of young Vasya and her determination to avoid the two roles allotted to women: the convent or the kitchen. The novel gets more fantastical as it proceeds, so don’t expect a straitlaced historical novel.”
Editor’s Note: Lake Country Booksellers is looking for a new space in downtown White Bear Lake--feel free to contact them if you have any ideas!
