Customer Reviews

Girlwood

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4 star:		(3)
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One night, Polly is awakened from a sound sleep to find her older sister, Bree, kissing her. As Bree's blood red aura trails behind her like the tattered wings of a ruined fairy, she tells Polly that she's leaving for the woods, so that she can try to be alright again. Half asleep, and not sure if she's really seeing her emaciated, drugged out sister or an actual fairy, Polly lets her go, with no argument over how much Bree has destroyed since she started using drugs.

No one believes her when she tells them Bree has run to the woods, so it's up to Polly to provide everything her sister will need. Winter is almost there, and a developer is coming soon to trade out the trees for a housing development. Following the guidance of her grandmother, Baba, Polly knows that she could rely on herself to survive alone in the forest, and, with her help, so can Bree.

Luckily, Polly finds that she doesn't have to be alone. Others may not be able to see the colorful bands of light around each other that display exactly who they are inside, but they will believe her. Under the protection of the hidden grove that Baba has shown her, Polly and her friends will learn that, with a little magic and a little faith, anything is possible.

Beautifully written and with vibrant imagery, this book will strike a chord with anyone who has found magic and solace in their own secluded spot of wilderness. The explanations that head each chapter of the different wildflowers and their medicinal uses are also fascinating, as is the descriptions of various auras and what they mean. The back cover states that the author wrote this as a gift for her daughter, and she will be writing one for her son next. I'll be looking forward to reading that.

Reviewed by: Allison Fraclose

I came across this endorsement of Girlwood by Jane Goodall. I've been an admirer of Goodall's environmental work for many years. After reading the quote below, I had to buy a copy of Girlwood. It's an enchanting and magical book that teaches reverence of our sacred earth, as well as empowerment of the individual. I'll be giving my copy to my 13-year-old niece, who I'm sure will love it.

"This is exactly the kind of book I would have loved as a teenager. It emphasizes the healing power of animals and nature which has helped so many young people cope with their problems all over the world. It will help young readers to understand that it is okay to be different. And that every individual can play a role in making this a better world."

Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE
Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute
UN Messenger of Peace

I couldn't put Girlwood down. I am sharing it with my daughter who is almost thirteen. Because Girlwood touches on many issues that mothers and daughters face such as the push and pull of letting go and coming back together, mistakes, peer pressure, love, insecurity, accomlishment, finding oneself, coming of age..., it is the perfect book to read together to open the many conversations that begin during this volatile and beautiful time of our lives. It is real, and it is fanciful. It is empowering and it is beautiful!

This is my favorite book ever! A beautifully-written, uplifting, green story of a girl who refuses to believe that her sister is lost forever. Three generations of women find their way back to each other and magic literally lights up the woods. Everyone should read this book. Perfect for mothers and daughters to read together.

I loved this book. At first I thought it was a bit odd, but once into it I was pleasantly surprised at how good it actually was. Each chapter starts with a excerpt about different plants and their medicinal uses. I find it a great and interesting way to start a chapter. This is a book that flows beautifully and has great meaning behind it.
Polly has never quite fit in, she loves the ugly forest nearby and most think her grandma is a witch. Polly has a secret though,since she was little has been able to see peoples auras. But then her beautiful, popular, druggie sister Bree disappears into the nearby forest and cant be found, but everyone believes the worst. Only Polly believes that her sister is living off the land in the forest. Polly finds evidence that her sister is living in a clearing she names Girlwood. Here she leaves food and clothes for Bree. Everything is better in Girlwood for Polly. But soon a developer plans to tear down the forest she loves and create a gated neighborhood. Through her hardships Polly soon finds who her true friends are.

Polly Greene is a perceptive, idealistic twelve-year-old who's never been a part of the 'in' crowd. For her, junior high is, at its best, "merely unpleasant," and at its worst, "a sick joke." Her parents have recently separated, and her 16-year-old sister, Bree, who was once Polly's friend and confidante, has become increasingly troubled and confrontational. Polly has been watching her sister destroy herself by abusing drugs and starving herself for months when Bree suddenly runs away. Polly is convinced that her sister is living in the nearby woods.

Polly's grandmother, Baba, is rumored to be a witch because of her homegrown remedies and organic medicines. Even though Polly's parents don't believe her at first, Baba encourages Polly to leave food, clothing and supplies in a beautiful larch grove in the woods for her missing sister. She names the grove "Girlwood," and believes strongly in its majesty and its secrets. But a local developer is threatening to refurbish the woods in order to put up tract housing. Polly and a few friends sneak off to the woods to build shelter for Bree in Girlwood, which, if the developers have their way, will be turned into a community swimming pool.

Polly dreams about fairies and sees colors and shapes in the aura of those around her. She believes in the power of plants to cure everything from skin irritation to brain tumors. She tells her classmates, "Magic is all the things we don't understand and aren't meant to... Magic is a forest that can heal itself, and everything in it, if we don't tear it down first." The novel blends environmentalism and supernatural elements to create a down-to-earth fairy tale about the power and beauty of nature. Girlwood celebrates the strength in every young woman, and it encourages individuality and independence. Polly and her Baba are the most charming characters, but all of the characters, even the antagonists, are well-developed. The story is well-written and multi-layered, and the pacing is effective.

Though the novel may be intended for young adults, older readers will also enjoy this sweet, descriptive story of wildness and wilderness. The exploration of family dynamics within the story of Polly and her mother, and Polly's mother and Baba, is both familiar and compelling. Overall, Girlwood is a very optimistic and touching coming-of-age story that pays tribute to determined women and wilderness.

[...]

Polly Greene is different from other seventh graders at Laramie Junior High. In fact, she comes from a long line of women who are different. She can see auras --- colors and shapes around people --- which Baba, her grandmother, says is a powerful gift. The night Polly's sister Bree disappears, Polly sees a "red glow swirling around her middle."

Baba also has a special gift: she can see secrets and pain. She is a healer, who uses plants and nature to mend bodies and souls, and believes that people are a lot like plants ("both do better with a little tending, both turn toward the sun, both grow together over time, and both die.").

Being different doesn't make for happy times at school, and Polly's life becomes even less pleasant after her sister disappears. In the hallways, classmates stare and whisper. At home, neighbors and strangers bring casseroles and fruit baskets and offer help, but their food and words of comfort don't bring back Bree. At first, the community is consumed with looking for the missing teen, but after it appears that Bree has run away, the search and the sympathy dry up quickly.

Laramie, Idaho, the setting for GIRLWOOD, is "a city of newcomers, a city of strangers." With the growing population, real estate developers see the potential to turn a quick profit. They bulldoze the forests to build homes and "hack up the mountains so a few people can enjoy the view." The developers' desire for money comes in conflict with residents who cherish the natural beauty of the woods.

Polly believes that Bree is hiding out in the woods, but with winter approaching, she fears for her safety and well being. One evening, Baba shows Polly a hidden path in the middle of the woods that leads to a beautiful place Polly names Girlwood. She is convinced that Bree has taken refuge there and she can rescue her. With winter approaching and the pending development threatening to destroy the safe haven where she believes Bree is hiding, Polly desperately tries to protect the woods she treasures while saving her wayward sister.

Each chapter begins with an illustration of a plant bordering a paragraph about the plant's origin, habitat and healing properties, which is a nice touch. The book's message, and the legacy of Baba, is to speak out for one's beliefs and take risks to protect those you love. The image of the heartless, greedy developer with no redeeming qualities is overdone, and Carly, the developer's daughter, is portrayed a bit harshly for my tastes. Overall, however, GIRLWOOD is a moving story about the fragile nature of family and the environment --- and how a lot of love and a little attention can save them both.

--- Reviewed by Donna Volkenannt

The story follows a number of themes, including the challenges of growing up in our complicated modern world, family loyalties, love of nature, and the environmental concerns that threaten our way of life. These real-life issues are told with an over-lay of fantasy and magic, weaving them together in a delightful book.

I was connected to this book through Roots and Shoots as a book club choice. The girls from my group loved reading it. It had great lessons about nature, plants, beliefs, and coming of age in modern day.
Great for a book club for girls 11-14.

Only three people see and understand the power in a grove of larch trees called Girlwood: the power that holds fairies, and that gives Polly the ability to protect her reckless teen sister Bree, who runs away from home. Can Girlwood protect against developers who want to cut down the forest? A fine story of magic and fantasy evolves in a fine read for young adults who want uplifting adventure.