Ettie and the Midnight Pool by Julia Green

“Love is stronger than fear, stronger even than death.”

Ettie and the Midnight Pool is a beautiful, lyrical story of heartache, family and truth that celebrates the wildness of the natural world. 11-year-old Ettie’s story is carefully woven with the story of Orpheus and Eurydice as she (and the readers who adventure with her) are challenged to find what makes them unique and connects them to their past. With themes of story and “once upon a time” running through this gorgeous book, readers wonder if Ettie will get her “happily ever after”.

Ettie lives at High Fell House with her grandmother. Her mother went away long ago but Ettie often thinks of her, wondering if she looks at the same stars. As the year passes from midwinter to late summer and back to the darker evenings of autumn, Ettie begins to question the life they’ve created and Grandma’s overprotective care for her. Ettie wants to be free and independent. She wants to explore the forest and go beyond the boundary wall. When she spots an unusual girl in the woods, she can’t help but follow.

Cora is like no one Ettie has ever met before. She’s a wanderer and speaks of strange things. Ettie is absolutely enchanted and ignores Grandma’s warnings about the deep, emerald quarry pool. Being with Cora, wild swimming and endless adventure take over. With her head full of stories, Ettie must discover for herself what it means to be grown-up and where she fits in the world.

Julia Green’s writing is always incredibly powerful – an ode to nature with a hopeful call to action. Ettie and the Midnight Pool is no different. Readers feel the rhythm of the earth – the peace, the heartbeat, the story of the land – as they think about their own place in it. From the freshness of the hay meadows to the oak trees to the iciness of the water, nature is enchanting and the most beautiful place to be.

Thank you to David Fickling Books & Liz Scott PR for this wonderful book!

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