Lucy in Her Secret Wood
“Lucy in Her Secret Wood” by Christina M. Pages a enchanting story that as poetic as a fairytale. If you’re the type of person that wishes you could talk to animals or explore a whimsical forest, you’ll completely adore this book. Thanks to Waldorf Publishing for providing us an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley.
To be honest, we found the story a little slow to start, as we weren’t expecting to dive head first into such a beautifully worded fairytale-esque story. Once we got a few pages in, however, we were completely sucked in to Lucy’s unique and wild tale, and we think you will be too.
Lucy isn’t like most 8 year olds. She was locked in a dark room for most her life by her horrible step-father who only ever called her “Nuisance” and only had a stuffed rabbit and a few books to keep her company. She was only ever fed enough food and water to keep her alive and she never had any friends or toys or any of the possessions you know and love. One day, Lucy’s stepfather throws her in his fan her and drops her off in the woods. He says someone will be by to get her soon, but no one ever comes. Despite being all alone, Lucy isn’t afraid. She’s so happy to be free that she doesn’t mind having to sleep inside the trunk of a giant knotty tree or drink water from a babbling brook.
After a few days, Lucy is completely in tune with her wood. She sees the wildlife and animals in a way that most people would just miss or take for granted, and decides that this will be her new home. One day, when she heads off to find some fruit and berries to eat, she runs into a young boy named Will. They quickly become friends and Will is just fascinated by Lucy’s wild eyes, long black hair, and the way she’s so dazzled by everything because she’s never experienced it before. From the way food tastes to the sounds the birds make, Lucy finds something to love about everything she’s introduced to. They quickly become friends, and while Will is concerned that Lucy is living in the woods all alone, he promises to not tell anyone her secret. Instead, he brings her food and supplies from his grandmother’s house as often as he can.
Unfortunately, Lucy is eventually captured by the police and put into an orphanage full of strict nuns and children who don’t quite understand her. Lucy is determined to break free from the orphanage and get back to her wood, but that’s not exactly easy for an 8 year old girl. You’ll have to read it yourself to find out what happens, but we think you’ll just love it from cover to cover. Inside the book are also beautiful paintings that really help set the mood of the story and see how lovely the wood is through Lucy’s eyes.
The great news? This magical story is getting a sequel! The second book in the series is called “Lucy and the Forest School of Wonder”. We’re not sure yet when it will be published, but as soon as it is, we’ll definitely be sharing it with our readers! We’re dying to see what happens next. For more great reads, click here!
