A mother's harrowing portrait of a family and a child that kills. An intelligently-written book, brimming with literary and cultural references, and psychological insights. Not an easy read, but one that may help our understanding of the tragedies unfurling on our American campuses and in our homes.

A tale where a snowy wonderland is the backdrop for building tension between the real and imagined worlds of medieval Russia. Vasilisa, the young heroine, seems destined for a higher purpose than a good marriage... sure enough, pretty soon she's battling evil forces left and right.

Although our book club members were skeptical about reading a book from the fantasy section of the bookstore, we were all entranced by the insights into medieval times and ancient beliefs of the Russia, which sometimes took the form of house and stable fairies needing care and attention to secure their protection. Great debut novel from an imaginative, young author and although first in a trilogy, it's a good read on its own.