The Forest Family

Deep in the forest, Sylvania lives in peaceful serenity with her husband, Bernardo the woodcutter, and daughters, Rosy and Daisy, when the lure of adventure leads Bernardo into a foreign war. Years later, when he finally returns, he is an unrecognizable stranger. Using the lore of generations of women, Sylvania and her daughters set out to heal him and recover the man they love.Incorporating stories as disparate – and as connected – as the story of Ruth and Naomi, the Great Pan, and Sir Gawain and the Loathly Maid, Joan Bodger weaves a masterful and unique work, the culmination of her lifetime as a storyteller.