Mischief In The Wood by Tina Rath (book review).
Older readers will have grown up with fairy and folkloric stories, and many writers indulge themselves with rewriting them, sometimes to great acclaim. For those familiar with these tales, it is often too easy to spot, and that is likely to colour their enjoyment of the story. Younger readers, though, may be less familiar with the tropes and the connections between folklore and the fae. To them, the ideas will be freshest.
Unlike her short stories, all ages are likely to enjoy Tina Rath’s first published novel. The narrator, Rosie, and her two friends, Jason and Floralie, are typical teenagers. Rosie is overconfident, impulsive, and loyal to her friends, even if they do have the occasional disagreement. They are also outsiders in the eyes of the rest of their peer group, partly because they don’t always follow the rules. The mothers of the three children were close friends, but circumstances have changed. Floralie’s father is an actor and lives in London. She desperately wants him to show her some love, but the few times he sees her, he has difficulty remembering her name. Jason’s mother has developed a fear of germs and spends most of her time cleaning. Rosie’s father has developed a malady that is making him increasingly insular, spending most of his time in the shed. In centuries past, people would have said they were elf-touched.
These three are not always going to follow the rules. On a school trip to a wood, which is a fragment of ancient forest, they disobey instructions and stray off the path. By a pool, they discover Nick. He claims to be fae and wants their help in finding something he has lost. Reluctantly agreeing to help him draws them into a strange world. These are modern, tech-savvy youngsters, and although they are not going to trust Nick or what he says, they use the internet to try and find out as much as they can about fae folklore. They may not believe all they discover, but they decide to err on the safe side, sticking to things like not eating or drinking anything in the other world to which Nick transports them.
A character they initially do not think is important is a class member who everyone refers to as Jen the Spook. There is something about her that holds all the others at a distance. Although the trio initially has the same reaction, Jason takes pity and befriends her, partly to protect her from the class bullies led by Darla.
Elmond’s Wood, where the adventure started, used to cover a far wider area, and when they, and Jen, become hunted by elves, they find themselves hiding out in the shopping mall, which is an extension of fairyland into the modern world.
At home, the problems with affected parents are deepening, and they catch glimpses of them in fairyland. Guessing what could have happened to them, they resolve to rescue them, a task not without hazards. The two texts that seem to make the most sense in their situation are the ballad of Tam Lin and the story of Childe Rowland, both of which resonate throughout the novel.
The characters of the trio and their anxieties are well drawn, and there is a lot packed into this slim volume. Anyone who has read and enjoyed the excellent ‘Troutespond’ series by Elizabeth Priest (Chris Priest’s daughter) will find the same kind of atmosphere here, mixing folklore, magic, and otherworldliness to make a satisfying whole. I look forward to seeing a sequel from Tina Rath.
Pauline Morgan
December 2024
(pub: Cathaven Press, 2024. 195 page paperback. Price: £ 9.95 (UK). ISBN: 978-1-917040-00-6)