Tightlipped Master Mellwyn won't say precisely who Anna's parents were, or how he came to care for her, but he emphatically warns Anna not to look for answers in the dark groves that border their lonely beachside hovel. (The forest ghouls within will "claw ye to bleedin' shreds, they will. Or crush ye, bones and all, with their graspin' feet!") But when the master leaves to fish everyday, Anna's growing curiosity can't be quelled. Especially when the distant High Willow seems to call to her, promising to reveal the mystery behind her missing mother.
Fans of T.A. Barron's other magical fables (such as the excellent Lost Years of Merlin series) will quickly get caught up in Anna's story, as she flirts with new discoveries, makes new friends, and learns the forest's most important lesson--that whatever we look for, be it good or bad, we'll inevitably find. (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes