A Knot in the Grain and Other Stories [Paperback]

Robin Mckinley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 1995 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Lily. A woman with power to heal, but no powers of speech. Then she meets a mage---a man who can hear the words she forms only in her mind. Will he help her find her voice?

Ruen. A princess whose uncle leaves her deep in a cave to die at the hands of a stagman. But when she meets the stagman at last, Ruendiscovers fatehas a few surprises in store for her.

Erana, As a baby, she is taken be a witch in return for the healing herbs her father stole from the witch's garden. Raised alongsidethe witch's troll son, Erana learns that love comes in many forms.

Coral. A beautiful young newcomerwho catches the eye of an older widowed farmer. He can't believe his good fortune when Coral consents to be his wife. But then the doubts set in---what is it that draws Coral to Butter Hill?

Annabelle. When her family moves, the summer befre her junior year of High School, Annabelle spends all her time in the attic of their new house--until she finds the knot in the gain which leads her on a magical mission.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The strange, rich magic of fairy tales is amplified and made highly personal in five stories by Newbery Medalist McKinley ( The Hero and the Crown ). A pragmatic, unapologetic feminism infuses each tale: while McKinley's adventurous heroines certainly do not eschew love, neither do they pine after princes and castles. Instead, each of these down-to-earth young women actively seeks a partner--however unusual--who suits her. Lily, the mute heroine of "The Healer," meets a fallen mage who can understand her thoughts and eventually helps her regain her voice. In "The Stagman," Queen Ruen abandons her royal husband for the shape-changing beast that rescued her from her cruel uncle's abuse. A maiden in "Touk's House" rejects a prince's hand in marriage in favor of the turquoise-eyed half-troll she has known and, she comes to realize, has loved all her life. In the moving and exhilarating tale "Buttercups," the honesty and hard work of an old farmer and his much younger wife transform what could have been a supernatural disaster into a rare and fruitful blessing. The title story, set in contemporary upstate New York, chronicles both a girl's encounter with a mysterious box she finds hidden in a secret attic in her family's new house and her gradual, prosaic adjustment to life in a small town, far away from her old home and friends. A thrilling, satisfying and thought-provoking collection. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-12-The mythical world of Damar, featured in The Hero and the Crown (1984) and The Blue Sword (1982, both Greenwillow), is the setting for four of the five stories in this uneven collection. Damar's medieval atmosphere serves as a perfect backdrop for tales of magic and mysterious events. However, for those who haven't read the novels, there is little clarification of details that crop up from them. The sorcerer Luthe, an integral character in both Hero and Sword, appears in two of these stories, but his significance is not explained. The strength of plot development varies; it is at its best in "Touk's House." Less convincing is "The Stagman," in which the passive princess Ruen, rescued by the Stagman from her evil uncle who usurped her kingdom, now joins the beast/man, leaving her husband after 20 years of apparently happy marriage. The collection's anomaly, though delightful, is the title story. Set in the present day, it is the tale of a teenager who prevents the destruction of her small town by a superhighway-with the help of a mysterious box she finds in the attic. It is misplaced among the Damarian stories, but reveals this talented author's ability to utilize various settings, and whets readers' appetites for more modern-day fantasy from her. All in all, a mixed bag, but one that will be enjoyed by fans of McKinley's earlier books.
Mary Jo Drungil, Niles Public Library District, IL
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books; Harper Trophy Ed edition (September 30, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064406040
• ISBN-13: 978-0064406048
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #490,526 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Robin McKinley has won various awards and citations for her writing, including the Newbery Medal for The Hero and the Crown and a Newbery Honor for The Blue Sword. Her other books include Sunshine; the New York Times bestseller Spindle's End; two novel-length retellings of the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Beauty and Rose Daughter; and a retelling of the Robin Hood legend, The Outlaws of Sherwood. She lives with her husband, the English writer Peter Dickinson.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Little McKinley snacks, February 18, 2003

By 

"celes1" (Havre de Grace, Maryland United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Knot in the Grain and Other Stories (Paperback)

This is a short story collection containing five stories: The Healer, The Stagman, Touk's House, Buttercups, and A Knot in the Grain. The first four stories are set in McKinley's Damar universe, the first three even feature Luthe. The last is a departure for her because it is set in modern times and doesn't have a very large fantasy element.

The Healer, is the story of a girl named Lilly who has the power to heal but is also mute. She meets a mage who can hear her telepathically and they set off on a journey to restore Lilly's speech. This is a fairly strong story and a great pick to start the book with. The characters are fleshed out well and the love story was enjoyable.

The Stagman, is about a princess named Ruen who is left, by her greedy uncle, as a sacrifice to a human/stag hybrid. Is the Stagman really as bad as people think he is? This is probably my favorite story in the collection. I liked all the characters and the plot was very interesting. It would have worked much better as a novel though. By the time the story was over there were still far to many unanswered questions.

Touk's House, is the story of a girl named Erana who was raised by a witch. As she grows up, she befriends and eventually falls in love with the witch's troll son. This is a fairly decent story. The plot is really interesting but it would have been much better if the characters had been developed a bit more.

Buttercups, is the story of a old farmer named Pos who marries a young girl named Coral. Pos loves his wife very much but has doubts about her affection for him because she spends too much time on buttercup hill. This is a cute story but it's, unfortunately, very boring.

A Knot in the Grain, is about a teenage girl named Annabelle who is forced to move away and leave behind her entire life. She finds little comfort in her new house but one day she discovers a secret compartment in her new bedroom. It was a great idea to make this the last in the collection because the tone is very different from the others. It's not a love story and it's not even really a fantasy story. What makes this story special is how authentic Annabelle's character is. McKinley captures the emotion that goes along with moving to a new place very well.

I'd recommend this book to people who are already fans of McKinley's work. You don't really need to be familiar with the Damar series to enjoy the stories but it certainly helps. I also feel that McKinley is better suited to longer stories. If you are looking to get into McKinley's work it'd be a good idea to start with Beauty or one of the Damar books.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book I will cherish, October 26, 2002

By 

Stephanie Craddick "feathersteph" (Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Knot in the Grain and Other Stories (Paperback)

This book has rapidly become one of my favorite short story collections of all time. I rate a book by the way I feel when I finish reading it. If I am frustrated or disappointed, there is a good chance that I will trade it in with my next used book store visit. This book left me feeling warm and comfortable and satisfied. I had a small smile on my face and the afterglow of knowing that for just a few moments, I saw magic. I have gone back to it several times when in need of comfort or escape and it has drawn me in each and every time.

Ms. McKinley seems to have a lovely little window through which she can glimpse a wild and magical place. I am only grateful that she also has the skill to show it to us as well. Buy it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Worthy Collection that Represents McKinley's Art, August 8, 2000

By 

Katie - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Knot in the Grain and Other Stories (Paperback)

I was impressed by Robin McKinley's beautiful stories. I am more pleased by the beauty and composition of words along the way than the plots of these stories. Robin McKinley does create airy, ethereal settings in these tales, but as others have mentioned, they are left a little loose. What matters to me is why McKinley wrote these stories so; hopefully she intended to leave them with strings dangling and not because she "didn't want to write anymore"! I was fond of her retelling of Raphunzel (sp) and "Buttercups". I feel that those two stories were the most enchanting and fulfilling. I enjoy her tales because she can develop such a complex and beautiful plot without bringing in many characters or settings. The one place she chooses to write about seems to represent the whole world. I am now reading her earlier collection of short stories titled "The Door in the Hedge", which seems to be constructed more gracefully. "A Knot in the Grain" really does not deserve negative criticism; McKinley is a notable author who is allowed to experiment with different writing styles. Her "Beauty" is one of my favorite stories. She is able to travel deep into her character's minds and express things as no one else can. I admire her soft but powerful stories - stories that are neither weak or adventurous, ones that reveal just enough so the reader can understand. I think her style carries on into absolutely every piece she creates, and that is a priceless thing.