Reading the Alphabet: E is for East

Who else loves a good fairy tale? Because we are in for a treat today! East by Edith Pattou is a retelling of “East of the Sun and West of the Moon,” and it’s been on my favorites-shelf (which, okay, is really just a mental shelf because my library is organized by CHAOS) since I first read it in my early teens. This isn’t what I’d call a sweeping fantasy – sure, there are heroes and villains, dangerous journeys, and magic, etc. – but at it’s heart, it’s the story of one girl’s coming-of-age.

Following the original Norwegian fairy tale, our heroine, Rose, agrees to live with a magical white bear in exchange for the health of her ailing sister and a reversal of fortune for her poverty-stricken family. In this version, Rose’s decision to leave is driven by several factors: desire to help her family, her own natural wanderlust, and, most important in the moment, the deep hurt from learning her family has lied to her for her whole life about the truth of her name and her birth direction (part of her mother’s superstitions). The bear takes her far away to his palace in the mountain, where she becomes friends with the mysterious White Bear, who seems almost human at times, and where an unseen stranger sleeps beside her each night. When Rose’s curiousity gets the better of her, disaster follows and she must journey to the land east of the sun and west of the moon to set things right and save her beloved friend. Through her adventures, Rose learns patience and endurance, atoning for her earlier rash actions. She is still the same courageous and determined girl we first met but with greater wisdom, understanding how she affects the people around her.

Although Rose is undoubtedly the “primary” protagonist, we’re given chapters from the point of view of other characters, as well – namely, her father, her older brother, the White Bear, and the villainous Troll Queen. Since our male lead spends most of his time under a powerful enchantment, his character development is just a tad shallow, but his loneliness is nevertheless palpable and affecting. West, the sequel to East, was published just a few years ago, and while I haven’t read it yet, I’m hoping to see more development from him there. Or we can just keep the focus on Rose, which is okay with me because I happen to think she’s a pretty cool character.

My other favorite character, of course, is Rose’s older brother, Neddy. As her next oldest sibling, Neddy has always felt particularly protective of his adventurous little sister. Unlike his mother, who expresses her love and concern by trying to control Rose, Neddy knows he cannot change her – he doesn’t really want to – and so he’s left watching her grow further and further away, going where he cannot follow or protect her. His chapters, and their fathers, have a bittersweet quality, filled with unconditional love for a person he can’t fully understand.

“That’s the trouble with loving a wild thing: you’re always left watching the door. But you also get kind of used to it.” –East

After several years, I wasn’t sure if East would live up to my memory of it – YA novels often don’t, even if they’re still fun. But Pattou’s writing hits just the right tone – cozy with a hint of magic and danger – and her prose is both effective and enjoyable. It’s not flowery or dramatic but very solid and matter-of-fact, which is just right for our sturdy Rose, who, if adventurous, is also extremely practical. All this makes East an excellent comfort-read, for when you want something engaging but not too melodramatic. Don’t you just love it when an old favorite is as good as you remembered?

–b