There Flies the Witch

Name: There Flies the Witch
Brand: Harper Audio
Availability: InStock
Author: Mayonn Paasewe-Valchev
ISBN: 9780063307582

Author: Mayonn Paasewe-Valchev

Narrator: Liz Femi

Unabridged: 3 hr 56 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Published: 05/16/2023

Categories: Children's Fiction, Fantasy Stories, Regional Stories

Synopsis

Red may not know who her true family is, but she’s determined to find out where she belongs, in this story about magic, nature, family, love, and betrayal. There Flies the Witch will enchant fans of Erin Entrada Kelly, Tae Keller, and Grace Lin.Red doesn’t remember who she is or where she came from. In fact, her only memory is a terrifying, repeating dream of a threatening shadow and a foggy field. But after many years, she wonders if that’s just something she made up.Red does know that she now belongs with Yakaka, the witch who rescued Red when she was a little girl. Full of power and magic, Yakaka travels the world, healing the planet when it calls for her help. Yakaka carries Red between the wings on her back during these journeys, teaching her the skills of witchcraft, storytelling, and healing—skills Red can never seem to master.After a dangerous mission leads to Yakaka and Red’s falling from a great height and into the stormy ocean, Red wakes up alone on a seemingly deserted island. Days later, a young boy and his mother find Red and help her recover. For the first time, Red has a friend her own age to play with, and a chance to live a different kind of life. But what happened to Yakaka?Mayonn Paasewe-Valchev explores themes of family, identity, belonging, and resilience in this truly extraordinary coming-of-age story for readers of Kelly Barnhill’s The Girl Who Drank the Moon, Lauren Wolk’s Beyond the Bright Sea, and Laurel Snyder’s Orphan Island.

About Mayonn Paasewe-Valchev

Mayonn Paasewe-Valchev was born in Liberia, where she was exposed to a culture of oral storytelling at a young age. She lived in the Netherlands for several years, where she learned to stuff her klompen (wooden shoes) with carrots and developed a love for reading stories—especially tales written by Roald Dahl and Astrid Lindgren. She is the author of The Leopard Behind the Moon and a junior novel retelling of Marvel’s Black Panther. She lives in Washington, DC, with her family.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Can on February 02, 2023

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC. Wow!! This was such a sweet, wholesome, and enchanting read! Red was an amazing character and I loved how this story explored important topics while also remaining kid friendly and fun. I loved where the story went and I also loved the wor......more

Goodreads review by Can on February 02, 2023

Goodreads review by Therearenobadbooks on May 10, 2023

4.5 stars. Very beautiful poetical prose in the present tense, first person. Tells the story of a girl that doesn't belong to the woman raising her but who she sees and loves as her mother. It's a fast read, but very beautiful with the short chapters and lyrical sentences, and plenty of repetitions,......more

Goodreads review by Brandy on June 22, 2024

There is a beautiful rhythm and cadence to this story that just....speaks to you. Or at least, it did to me. This was both brilliant and heartbreaking. Red is lost in so many ways, even before Yakaka disappears. Growing up and becoming who you are meant to be is a hard journey but there's magic wait......more

Goodreads review by S.R. on April 08, 2023

I wanted to like it more than I did. The premise was intriguing, but I found the story to be a bit boring. For most of the book, the MC is wandering around on a secluded island. It’s cool for a while, but it became kind of repetitive. It was a quick read, though, which I love. I wish more books were......more