After her boat capsizes, Nine-year old Nefele is washed up on the Floating Forest, an infamous mythical prison-island, holding onto her father's corpse and with little chance to survive in the wild. It appears miraculous that a herd of native elks guide her to a tree house, filled with all she needs to survive, as well as plenty of books.
As the years pass, Nefele gradually loses her identity to the secrets of the Floating Forest, but the transition is interrupted by the arrival of a second castaway. Nefele must choose between the witch she wishes to be, straight out of a fairytale, and the real, living person she actually is.
Inspired by the mythical prison island Aeaea,
The Castaway and the Witch
combines coming of age and romance with a dream-like storyline filled with symbolism and insight.
Praise for
The Castaway and the Witch:
"A haunting and thought-provoking twist on the fairytale narrative. Must we be only what others have foretold and experienced? Or can we make our own stories, flawed and complex as we are..."
-- Shauna Lawless, author of the critically acclaimed
Gael Song
series.
"Captivating from the first page, this is a story about growing up and growing wise, a book-love story as harrowing as it is tender. With a touch of Piranesi, an undercurrent of fairy tales, and an ancestry of Greek myth,
is a beautiful, deeply moving book."
-- Natalia Theodoridou, Nebula and World Fantasy Award-winning author of
Sour Cherry
"A moving tale of families lost and magic found, an exploration of the power of enchantment and the enchantments of power - with the poetic register of a timeless fable and an island so vivid you'll want to wander its woods (and befriend the animals!)."
-- Rose Biggin, author of
The Belladonna Invitation
"
is a wild, recursive fable of heartache, transformation, reclamation, and distortion. It casts a magical web that catches you in its unsettling whimsy even as it drags you further into its darker depths."
-- T.L. Bodine, author of
Neverest
and
River of Souls
"As thoughtful as it is beguiling, set in an island that is both prison and promised sanctuary, Papadopoulou's
is one of those stories you'll want to return to again and again. Its true spell is revealed slowly, in layers laden with lost folklore, hidden truths and tragedies-a powerful tale about choosing which parts of the lore to claim as your own, and where to pen a brave new start."
-- Danai Christopoulou, author of
Vile Lady Villains