With 'A Pocketful of Crows' Joanne Harris delivers a poetic story about a tragic love, but also about the circle of life and nature. Weaving together a magic fairy tale and folklore we follow a nameless wild girl living in the woods, far away from the village of the 'Folk', where she lives in the disguise of animals. Until one day, she meets a handsome young man and they fall in love. However, it is not meant to be, and too late realizes the girl that her place is not among the village Folk, but in nature. But now she is bound by the name that was given to her, and in order to be free again, she not only has to forget everything, but also to bring a sacrifice. Only at the end she realizes that every end marks a beginning, and what important role she has to play in nature's circle of life.
Like a calendar, the chapters follow the months of the year with a short rhyme from the 'Child Ballads' or some old saying of wisdom introducing each one. The book was a fast read, and every now and then I had to slow down to truly appreciate the poetic nature of the story.
(Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for a copy of the book, all opinions are my own)