Contemporary Baba Yaga – review of the book “House on chicken paws”

Sophie Anderson’s book appeared in British bookstores in 2018. The idea of ​​writing a novel about contemporary Baba Yaga heralded positive reviews from critics, and it happened. I present the bestseller of The Guardian and the book of the week, The Sunday Times – Dom na Kurzych Łapach .

One, two, three… Baba Yaga is watching!

Twelve-year-old Marinka lives in a dream world. Above all, the redhead would like to lead a normal life, just like her peers. This is impossible for two reasons. First of all, her grandmother is Baba Yaga who guards the Gate between the world of the living and the dead. The second reason, in turn, is related to the needs of the house where the women live. This building on crow’s feet is characterized by an unbridled need to travel in the style: today in the desert, tomorrow near the ocean. Staying in one place for a long time is not an option. The teenage heroine, despite internal opposition, must quickly face her destiny. In the future, she is to take over all the duties of her grandmother and lead the dead through the Gate by herself. It is connected with great responsibility and… justified fear.

Anne of Green Gables meets Baba Yaga?

Wydawnictwo Kobiece has decided to publish a novel that will surely appeal to all young (and those a bit older) amateurs of reading. Anderson offers a magical folklore fairy tale, the heroes of which will be remembered for a long time. Teenage Marinka is an ordinary-unusual girl for whom friendship becomes the greatest value day by day. The heroine decides to take a risk, which unfortunately brings her and her loved ones into great trouble. The mistakes made cannot be undone. The price for a moment of happiness turns out to be very high, and the decisions made have consequences. Anderson is an efficient narrative and quickly draws the reader into his fairy tale game. House in Kurzych Łapydraws handfuls from Russian folk tales, but the modernized version of Baba Yaga will surely appeal to readers from all continents.

A beautiful ghost in a beautiful cover

The book is sure to catch the eye of potential readers in bookstores. The cover is colorful and the title is glossy, reflecting light from different angles. Inside, a graphic with a house on crow’s feet is repeated many times. There are also other, minor symbols related to the plot: a cauldron, a cobweb, bottles with potions. The titles of the individual chapters are intriguing, but do not reveal what will happen next. At the end of the book there are a few additions: a short Marika’s Glossary, which includes words such as: szczi soup – cabbage soup, bessara – thick bean soup, magaria – a desert tree with brown cherry-shaped fruits, an interesting interview with the author, from which we can find out what her inspirations were and whether she is planning more novels for young people, thanks for loved ones,The house on crow’s feet . Psst, the reviewers don’t lie!