MADSI THE TRUE

Three young people set out on a quest through enchanted woods.

In 1750 Norway there are a lot of superstitions about the Northern Lights: Grown-ups say that standing under them will burn your hair off or that they’ll “grab you and drag you right up into the sky.” A year ago Madsi’s older sister, Lisbet, went to see the Lights and never returned. Madsi, who’s desperately missing her and feeling guilt-ridden about the argument they had the night she left, sneaks out to ask the Lights to give Lisbet back. But the Lights respond by sending another girl down from the sky instead. Torin has glowing hair the same brilliant green as the Lights, and she very much wants to return to them. So, joined by Espen, the annoying boy who lives next door to Madsi, the girls set off to ask the witch of Innerdalstårnet mountain for help. Along the way, they encounter monsters and enchanted creatures including giants, trolls, a gnomelike nisse, the undead gjenganger, and a beautiful huldra. They also befriend a nomadic, reindeer-herding brother and sister, Dánel and Ruvsá, who are Indigenous Sámi people. The book brings 18th-century Norway to life, immersing readers in the folkloric setting. Over the course of the journey, each character learns to reframe stories they’ve long believed about themselves, gaining strength and letting go of guilt along the way. The bittersweet ending leaves room for hope.

A warmhearted historical adventure embedded in Nordic folklore.