Peach’s Picks Rating
Title:
Tender Morsels
Author:
Margo Lanagan
Illustrator:
None
ISBN:
978-0-375-84811-7
Publisher:
New York: Alfred A. Knopf
Copyright:
2008
Length:
433 pages
Plot Summary:
This is a startling twist on the Grimm Brothers’ tale of Snow White and Rose Red. It tells the tale of Liga and her daughters, Branza and Urdda, who live deep in a magical forest distant from the cruelties of others and the world. It seems that nothing can go wrong and no one can be hurt. It is a world that Liga is lucky enough to find herself in after she survives cruelties including incest and rape by her father and a gang rape. She is isolated in her utopia raising her daughters. As in the tale of Snow White and Rose Red, there is a gentle daughter, Branza, and a headstrong daughter, Urdda. As in the fairy tale, bears and a dwarf play key figures. The story takes place in a vaguely medieval time and the characters move between two worlds. One world is the cocoon that Liga finds for herself and the other is the real world full of the pain and joy of humans. Urdda is the first to make her way out of her mother’s safe but stifling cocoon. Then Branza follows her. Finally, Liga rejoins the real world, but to her disappointment, time has not stood still while she recovered from the cruelties she endured as a young woman.
Critical Evaluation:
The author’s use of language and setting is magical and lyrical. The characters, both main and secondary, are well developed. The violence perpetrated against Liga is palpable. The reader is left to decide if Liga’s world is real or if she is emotionally ill and has used psychological coping techniques to isolate herself from the traumas inflicted upon her. Many of the scenes are very disturbing. The book is recommended for older teens. Just when it seems too long, the reader is pulled back into the beautiful prose and the lives of the three women trying to find their way through life. All view the world from different perspectives offering much fodder for discussion. Initially, the ending created for Liga is disappointing, but after reflection it perfectly matches the path she chose for herself. The story can be difficult to follow because Lanagan’s writing is so dense and the stories of Liga, her daughters, and the creatures that penetrate their haven are very complicated. The book is worth lingering over at a steady pace and the reader will be rewarded with a memorable story at the end.
Reader’s Annotation:
Liga has two daughters, one is a product of incest and rape and the other a product of a gang rape. She has retreated to a world that is peaceful and without harm, until the bear comes.
Author Information:
Lives in Sydney, Australia
Born in 1960
No other information available
Genre:
Fantasy
Curriculum Ties:
Use in literature classes and creative writing classes.
Booktalking Ideas:
After incest and a gang rape that produce two daughters, Liga discovers she has crossed over into a parallel universe that offers a safe haven. Bears that morph to men and back again and a rude dwarf begin traveling in and out of their safe haven bringing joy and perhaps the horrors that Liga wanted so much to escape.
Reading Level/Interest Age:
High school
Additional Books by Author:
White Time
Black Juice
Red Spikes
Challenge Issues:
Sexuality, cruelty, hints of bestiality
Deal with challenge by having a challenge policy in place, selection policy in place (ALA policies). Meet with library administration if necessary. Provide positive review(s) from professional publications.
Why this work is included in Peach’s Picks:
The book received a Printz Award Honor (2009) and a starred review in School Library Journal and Booklist. It receives 5 peaches for its creative and intriguing story that reflects fairy tales I enjoyed as a child.
Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Tender-Morsels-Margo-Lanagan/dp/0375848118/ref=sr_1_1_oe_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271617981&sr=1-1
Tender Morsels
Author:
Margo Lanagan
Illustrator:
None
ISBN:
978-0-375-84811-7
Publisher:
New York: Alfred A. Knopf
Copyright:
2008
Length:
433 pages
Plot Summary:
This is a startling twist on the Grimm Brothers’ tale of Snow White and Rose Red. It tells the tale of Liga and her daughters, Branza and Urdda, who live deep in a magical forest distant from the cruelties of others and the world. It seems that nothing can go wrong and no one can be hurt. It is a world that Liga is lucky enough to find herself in after she survives cruelties including incest and rape by her father and a gang rape. She is isolated in her utopia raising her daughters. As in the tale of Snow White and Rose Red, there is a gentle daughter, Branza, and a headstrong daughter, Urdda. As in the fairy tale, bears and a dwarf play key figures. The story takes place in a vaguely medieval time and the characters move between two worlds. One world is the cocoon that Liga finds for herself and the other is the real world full of the pain and joy of humans. Urdda is the first to make her way out of her mother’s safe but stifling cocoon. Then Branza follows her. Finally, Liga rejoins the real world, but to her disappointment, time has not stood still while she recovered from the cruelties she endured as a young woman.
Critical Evaluation:
The author’s use of language and setting is magical and lyrical. The characters, both main and secondary, are well developed. The violence perpetrated against Liga is palpable. The reader is left to decide if Liga’s world is real or if she is emotionally ill and has used psychological coping techniques to isolate herself from the traumas inflicted upon her. Many of the scenes are very disturbing. The book is recommended for older teens. Just when it seems too long, the reader is pulled back into the beautiful prose and the lives of the three women trying to find their way through life. All view the world from different perspectives offering much fodder for discussion. Initially, the ending created for Liga is disappointing, but after reflection it perfectly matches the path she chose for herself. The story can be difficult to follow because Lanagan’s writing is so dense and the stories of Liga, her daughters, and the creatures that penetrate their haven are very complicated. The book is worth lingering over at a steady pace and the reader will be rewarded with a memorable story at the end.
Reader’s Annotation:
Liga has two daughters, one is a product of incest and rape and the other a product of a gang rape. She has retreated to a world that is peaceful and without harm, until the bear comes.
Author Information:
Lives in Sydney, Australia
Born in 1960
No other information available
Genre:
Fantasy
Curriculum Ties:
Use in literature classes and creative writing classes.
Booktalking Ideas:
After incest and a gang rape that produce two daughters, Liga discovers she has crossed over into a parallel universe that offers a safe haven. Bears that morph to men and back again and a rude dwarf begin traveling in and out of their safe haven bringing joy and perhaps the horrors that Liga wanted so much to escape.
Reading Level/Interest Age:
High school
Additional Books by Author:
White Time
Black Juice
Red Spikes
Challenge Issues:
Sexuality, cruelty, hints of bestiality
Deal with challenge by having a challenge policy in place, selection policy in place (ALA policies). Meet with library administration if necessary. Provide positive review(s) from professional publications.
Why this work is included in Peach’s Picks:
The book received a Printz Award Honor (2009) and a starred review in School Library Journal and Booklist. It receives 5 peaches for its creative and intriguing story that reflects fairy tales I enjoyed as a child.
Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Tender-Morsels-Margo-Lanagan/dp/0375848118/ref=sr_1_1_oe_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271617981&sr=1-1
References:
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None for this entry
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