I was pleasantly surprised to find this book in the poetry section of the Wexford Town’s library, (obviously) in Co. Wexford. This book was first published in 2018 by Trapeze, an imprint of the Orion Publishing Group Ltd. Both the text and the illustrations are copyright of Nikita Gill. Before the contents page there is a note for the reader:
“For you,
Who has never forgotten
The magic.
It wants you to know
it remembers you too.”
The book itself is like an old-fashioned navy spell book or a vintage styled book. It is beautiful, magical and mesmerising. It definitely captivated me in the library calling to me to check it out for a loan. I love this book so much that I would like my own copy.
It is a collection of stories and poems based on the typical classic fairy tales and are written from other characters perspective. For instance, on page 30 ‘Cinderella’s Mother Sends her a Message from Heaven’, “Darling, some people wear the word ‘family’ as a disguise for their intentions and who they are.”
Through this book we as adults are still learning from the very fairy tales that we grew up with but are seeing new things and connotation’s form the stories. Even the title of the pieces make you think differently from the start. Page 16 ‘Half of Rumpelstiltskin Seeks Redemption’ and on page 18 ‘Why Tinkerbell Quit Anger Management’,
The last piece in the book is entitled ‘Happily Ever After’ on page 155.
I will finish my review with the poem ‘Fire’, having recently come across this poem by Nikita on social media called ‘Fire’, I fell in love with her work. This is the poem:
Fire
Remember what you must do
when they undervalue you,
when they think
your softness is your weakness,
when they treat your kindness
like it is their advantage.
You awaken
every dragon,
every wolf,
every monster
that sleeps inside of you
and you remind them
what hell looks like
when it wears the skin
of a gentle human.
(c) Grace O’Reilly
Order your copy online here.
