Milla lives on the farm with her 5 sisters, their Dadder and their Grammy. Life is tough and the sisters live in fear of their father who believes that the family are cursed. Grace, Milla's oldest sister is set to be married off but, when the Full Moon Fayre comes to town and Grace's fortune is told, she vanishes, leaving the family in turmoil. It's up to Milla to bring the family back together; something which entails her making a long and sometime dangerous journey in search of answers.
Set during a time when women were trialled for being witches, daily life is clearly tough. All 6 sisters sleep in one room and take it in turns to have the scratchy blanket. It is their Grammy who provides the love, stability and strength whilst their father spends much of his time drinking and threatening them. The arrival of the fayre provides a stark contrast and the heady mix of crowds, stalls and mysterious acts is a far cry from the girls' usual routine. Then, of course, there is Milla's journey which takes her to some dark and sinister places.
The book is dominated by strong female characters, lead by Grammy whose fierce love of her girls guides them. She has an inner strength that is powerful to read and which is clearly borne out of the love she has for her girls. I think that it is this that gives the girls their strength. They live in a time when superstition dominates and girls are oppressed, but Milla is strong and won't give up on her sister. She is determined to do everything she can to find her. However, it is Darcey who I believe is one of the strongest of the girls: despite all her father's actions (I won't spoil things), she knows herself and isn't afraid to be herself - I had huge amounts of admiration for her (and for Grammy too).
I have loved all of Lucy's books so being sent a copy of this by Chicken House was a huge thrill. I'm sure that authors must get nervous when a new book is released into the wild, but with Sisters of the Lost Marsh (as with all of her other books), Lucy has absolutely nothing to fear! Quite the opposite in fact! This is a triumph of a book. Dark and sinister, this is a powerful story of family, magic and myth that combines vivid story-telling with strong and engaging characters (I have to mention Flint!). You will quickly find yourself lost in this story ... just make sure you don't get lost in the marshes!
Sisters of the Lost Marsh is available to buy now and is perfect for curling up with on these dark, wintery nights.
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