SKY'S DAUGHTER

This “novel in verse & vignette” reimagines the fairy tale “The Goose Girl,” focusing on a young ruler’s spiritual journey.

Willow, the second daughter of Queen Arania, is trapped between two worlds. She has twice failed the Passage of Rebirth—a ceremony conferring womanhood through communion with nature’s creatures. While many of her kin have emerged from the passage willingly joined with animal guides, Willow is tormented by a waking nightmare. Refusing the call of a shadowy specter, Willow hides her experience and is denied her identity as a woman. But upon the death of a relative, Queen Corrana, the leader of a nearby holding, Willow must accept her destiny as the rightful heir and companion of the monarch’s son, Grene. When a family friend named Chandri offers to accompany her, Willow makes a heartbreaking mistake. Unaware of Chandri’s pact with the Sky Brothers, Willow is forced to pose as a voiceless servant (“Voiceless, nameless, powerless— / I might as well be penned in with the geese”). As a result, Chandri assumes Willow’s role as queen. Lacking empathy and a connection to Earth, Chandri sees her plans unravel as her disregard for nature becomes clear. Obsessed with power, she seeks a blood sacrifice to appease the Sky Brothers, first claiming animal lives and then demanding the death of Grene. To end Chandri’s reign of terror, Willow must face a deep fear, opening her mind to her spiritual link. Discovering that her guide is EarthChild—the essence of nature’s cyclical power—Willow regains her voice. Finding the strength to challenge Chandri, the protagonist proves her right to rule. But can Willow repair the damage wreaked by her nemesis before it’s too late? Beautifully written and wildly imaginative, this modern-day myth should enchant readers. Featuring a captivating depiction of matriarchal culture, the story provides first-person narratives from Willow and Chandri, representing opposing expressions of female strength. Through the two characters’ struggles, Harrington delivers a striking cautionary tale of dominance over nature. Though the work is appropriate for most ages, some readers may find the depictions of animal suffering unsettling. Still, the engrossing novel continually reminds the audience that humans are interconnected children of the soil—and that the lust for power over nature’s gifts can only lead to loss.

A creative and potent ode to nature’s bounty and wrath.