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Rena Rossner
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The Sisters of the Winter Wood: The spellbinding fairy tale fantasy of the year Paperback – 20 Jun. 2019

by Rena Rossner (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars 1,049 ratings
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'LUSCIOUS AND HYPNOTIC . . . A gripping, powerful story of family, sisterhood. I gulped it down! - Madeline Miller, author of Song of Achilles and Circe

'An incredible achievement - a rich literary fairy tale' Robert Dinsdale, author of The Toymakers

Every family has a secret . . . and every secret tells a story.

In a remote village surrounded by forests on the border of Moldova and Ukraine, sisters Liba and Laya have been raised on the honeyed scent of their Mami's babka and the low rumble of their Tati's prayers. But when a troupe of mysterious men arrives, Laya falls under their spell - despite their mother's warning to be wary of strangers. And this is not the only danger lurking in the woods.

As dark forces close in on their small village, Liba and Laya discover a family secret passed down through generations. Faced with a magical heritage they never knew existed, the sisters realise the old fairy tales are true . . . and could save them all.

Captivating and boldly imaginative, Rena Rossner's debut invites you to enter a magical world of secrets, family ties and fairy tales weaving through history. Perfect for fans of The Bear and the Nightingale, Uprooted and The Night Circus.


'A graceful, poetic, deeply moving novel . . . a simply gorgeous book in every sense' Louisa Morgan

'The kind of book that Neil Gaiman and Naomi Novik might have cooked up together' Robert Dinsdale

'A stunning tapestry of a story unlike anything I've ever read. Laya and Liba are going to stick with me for a long, long time' Sara Holland, author of Everless

'An elegant tapestry of the love between sisters, the value of faith and family, and knowing one's true friends in times of peril' J. Kathleen Cheney

'Full of heart, history and enchantment' Publishers Weekly (starred review)

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Previous slide of product details
  1. Reading age
    12 years and up
  2. Print length
    480 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Dimensions
    12.6 x 2 x 19.8 cm
  5. Publisher
    Orbit
  6. Publication date
    20 Jun. 2019
  7. ISBN-10
    0356511456
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0356511450
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Review

With luscious and hypnotic prose, Rena Rossner tells a gripping, powerful story of family, sisterhood, and two young women trying to find their way in the world. I gulped it down! -- Madeline Miller, award-winning author of SONG OF ACHILLES and CIRCE

Rena Rossner weaves together fairytales with a strong current of faith to create a stunning tapestry of a story unlike anything I've ever read. Laya and Liba are going to stick with me for a long, long time ― Sara Holland, author of EVERLESS

An incredible achievement - a rich literary fairytale . . . The kind of book that Neil Gaiman and Naomi Novik might have cooked up together, it's far too easy to get lost in the forests between the pages and disappear for days on end -- Robert Dinsdale, author of THE TOYMAKERS

Mixes fairy tale, poetry, history, and heart to create an enchanting and mesmerizing tale of sisterly love. I adored this book! -- Sarah Beth Durst, award-winning author of The Queens of Renthia series

A graceful, poetic, deeply moving novel . . . a simply gorgeous book in every sense -- Louisa Morgan, author of A SECRET HISTORY OF WITCHES

[An] intricately crafted, gorgeously rendered debut . . . Full of heart, history, and enchantment ― PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (starred review)

[A] fantastical coming-of-age story [for] fans of Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver and Katherine Arden's The Bear and the Nightingale ― BOOKLIST

Rossner weaves an elegant tapestry of the love between sisters, the value of faith and family, and knowing one's true friends in times of peril ― J. Kathleen Cheney

This dark fairy tale about sisterly love and Jewish strength and courage, set against the backdrop of a deep and deadly winter forest, will haunt me for a long time. A powerful, emotional debut ― Julie C. Dao, author of FOREST OF A THOUSAND LANTERNS

An enthralling debut ― Lavie Tidhar, World Fantasy Award-winning author

Fairy tales, folklore, and poetry make an intoxicating brew in The Sisters of the Winter Wood, a luminous debut by an exciting new talent ― Ilana C. Myer

THE SISTERS OF THE WINTER WOOD is a deeply moving story of sisterly love, steeped in the rich tradition of Jewish folklore. Atmospheric and enchanting, it's sure to delight fans of Naomi Novik's Uprooted ― Lana Popovic, author of WICKED LIKE WILDFIRE

Rossner's debut weaves a richly detailed story of Jewish identity and sisterhood . . . Ambitious and surprising ― KIRKUS

A vivid, fascinating, excellently drawn story of the fragility of peace and the resilience of love that reaches back into history,out into folklore, and forward into the present ― Pamela Dean

Inspired by historical events in the Ukraine/Moldova borderland of the author's ancestors, this debut novel blends weighty themes - intercultural tensions, family feuds - with Russian and Jewish shapeshifting folklore. The result is a story that's both charming and chilling ― SFX

A beautiful tale of sisterly love and Jewish identity [with] haunting, otherworldly allure

― BOOKPAGE

Book Description

A magical debut with a fairy tale feel that will break your heart . . . Perfect for fans of The Night Circus, The Bear and the Nightingale and Uprooted

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Orbit
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 20 Jun. 2019
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0356511456
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0356511450
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 320 g
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 years and up
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.6 x 2 x 19.8 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    3.9 out of 5 stars 1,049 ratings

About the author

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Rena Rossner

Rena Rossner

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Rena Rossner lives in Israel where she works as a Literary Agent. She is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University's Writing Seminars program, Trinity College Dublin and McGill University where she studied history. All eight of her great grandparents immigrated to America to escape the pogroms in Moldova, Russia, Romania and the Ukraine - from towns like Dubossary, Kupel, Riga and Bendera. It is their story, together with her love of Jewish mythology and fantasy, that inspired her to write The Sisters of the Winter Wood.

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
1,049 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book to be a literary tale rooted in folklore, with one review specifically mentioning its re-working of "Goblin Market." The writing style receives mixed reactions, with some finding it beautiful while others find it difficult to read. Customers appreciate the romance elements, with one review noting it as a testament to love and friendship.

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LoreEnjoymentRomanceWriting style
8 customers mention ‘Lore’8 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's literary tale rooted in folklore, with one customer noting its steady plot.

"...you will love this re-working of the Goblin Market infused with eastern-European fairy tales, yiddish folklore and fear of the other. Loved it." Read more

"An interesting book that melds folklore, religion and romance. A bit scattered but interesting. An easy read so quickly finished." Read more

"...In some ways, this is exactly my kind of novel and a perfect winter read, and I did really enjoy some elements...." Read more

"A literary tale rooted in folklore" Read more

7 customers mention ‘Enjoyment’7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book interesting, with one mentioning its engaging format and another appreciating its re-working of "Goblin Market."

"If you love Naomi Novik and Katherine Arden you will love this re-working of the Goblin Market infused with eastern-European fairy tales, yiddish..." Read more

"An interesting book that melds folklore, religion and romance. A bit scattered but interesting. An easy read so quickly finished." Read more

"...The book has an interesting format in that it alternates between Liba’s chapters, written in prose, and Laya’s chapters, which are much shorter and..." Read more

"...Powerful. Loved everything about this book." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Romance’3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the romance in the book, with one review highlighting its testament to love and friendship, while another mentions the sisterhood theme.

"An interesting book that melds folklore, religion and romance. A bit scattered but interesting. An easy read so quickly finished." Read more

"...Dark and creepy, a testament to love and friendship, and timely themes on hate and intolerance. Powerful. Loved everything about this book." Read more

"...A story of magic, sisterhood, love and family. Really enjoyed it. X" Read more

9 customers mention ‘Writing style’6 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing style of the book, with some appreciating its sense of beauty and one describing it as a beautifully crafted page turner, while others find it difficult to read.

"Rossner is a writer of great compassion and with a sense of beauty that pierces through every line...." Read more

"...A pure escapist pleasure. Simply beautiful." Read more

"...words would have added authenticity to the novel, but so many words was unnecessary and slowed down the pace...." Read more

"Simple yet interesting writing...." Read more

Fantastic retelling
4 out of 5 stars
Fantastic retelling
Okay, first of all, have you ever seen a more beautiful cover? It's even more covetable in real life & the design such a perfect fit for the story😍 Sisters of the Winter Wood is, to me, a modern classic. I will admit that I struggled to get into it for the first 70-80 pages but then suddenly I found that I couldn't put it down! It's captivatingly beautiful & the formatting changing as it switches between the sisters only makes it more wonderful. Liba's point of view is written as standard prose & Laya's is in the form of poetry. After reading about the differences between the sisters, this change helps to truly distinguish each sister from the other. I need everyone to read this book ASAP as I need to talk about it before I explode! Sometimes posting spoiler free reviews can be really difficult!😂 . Thank you so much to orbitbooks_uk for sending me this beautiful free book!
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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Kate Hillerby
    5.0 out of 5 stars Super magical realism re-working if the Goblin Market
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 August 2021
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    If you love Naomi Novik and Katherine Arden you will love this re-working of the Goblin Market infused with eastern-European fairy tales, yiddish folklore and fear of the other. Loved it.
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  • Y. A. Elliott
    4.0 out of 5 stars Simple yet interesting writing.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 September 2019
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    An interesting book that melds folklore, religion and romance. A bit scattered but interesting. An easy read so quickly finished.
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  • Char Louise
    3.0 out of 5 stars A lovely blend of fairy tales and Jewish history, but a bit young for me
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 December 2018
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    Things I loved about this novel:
    Set in the heart of the forest, the novel has a fairytale, otherworldly feel and is steeped in folklore. It is largely a retelling of Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market, against the very real backdrop of the persecution of the Jews in Europe. This blend of folklore, fairy tales and Jewish history makes for a fascinating combination. Historical fantasy is my favourite (sub)genre.

    The book has an interesting format in that it alternates between Liba’s chapters, written in prose, and Laya’s chapters, which are much shorter and written in verse. This mirrors the contrasting nature of the sisters; Liba is the eldest, sensible and down to earth, while Laya is flighty and wild.

    Things I didn’t love:
    I found it difficult to get into, partly because of having to pause to look up the meaning of the Yiddish words and phrases. A few Yiddish words would have added authenticity to the novel, but so many words was unnecessary and slowed down the pace. I’m normally a fast reader but after two days I’d only got through 12% of the book (although I’m glad I persevered and the second half of the book went much faster).

    The dialogue in Liba’s chapters often felt clunky and wooden. Laya’s poetry included some beautiful descriptions and phrases and actually flowed much better. I felt that the secret of the bear and the swan, and the story of Liba and Laya’s births, is revealed too soon; we find out about this right at the beginning, when it would have been better as a twist later in the story.

    I also didn’t realise before buying that this was a young adult novel. Because of that it wasn’t dark enough for me, and the musings on boys, first love and kisses were somewhat tedious.

    In some ways, this is exactly my kind of novel and a perfect winter read, and I did really enjoy some elements. I think if the novel had been written for adults I would have loved it, but it was aimed at a younger age group than me.
    19 people found this helpful
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  • Mel S
    5.0 out of 5 stars A beautifully crafted page turner
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 October 2018
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Wow. This story stole every spare second of my weekend and I raced through it hungrily. Dark and creepy, a testament to love and friendship, and timely themes on hate and intolerance. Powerful. Loved everything about this book.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Jay Doubleu
    4.0 out of 5 stars Lyrical Fantasy
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 January 2019
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    A literary tale rooted in folklore
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • Szupernour
    3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, but not especially stimulating.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 August 2019
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    For the most part I enjoyed this novel, but it wasn't quite what I thought it would be. The plot was steady until the end when it felt rushed, and the "poetry" chapters just got in my nerves.
    Alright while it lasted but I wouldn't read it again.
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  • HallaW
    5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous prose and verse
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 November 2020
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    Rossner is a writer of great compassion and with a sense of beauty that pierces through every line. I loved this and felt utterly compelled the whole way through.
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  • Helen
    2.0 out of 5 stars Not so enchanting
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 June 2019
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    A bit of a plodding old plowhorse of a book- keep waiting for it to get started and become interesting but it never came. The concept of a story following the poem Goblin Market intrigued me but the whole thing felt clumsy and overly worked- the concepts felt belaboured and pretentious, without ever reaching the height the author seems to have been striving for.

    Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik inhabits a similar world (a teenaged Jewish girl in a realistic historical fantasy world with no love for Jewish people must overcome a fantastical destiny) far more masterfully- if you enjoyed the concepts of this book but not the execution consider giving her work a try.
    4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Aleshia (Mad Scibrarian)
    5.0 out of 5 stars Goblin Market Retelling full of sisterly love, self-discovery, and romance
    Reviewed in the United States on 25 March 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This book is just a prime example of what my type of book is. It’s a retelling of The Goblin Market with a touch of magic and a touch of romance. It follows two sisters who discover that they inherited abilities from their parents. The elder sister, Liba, is able to transform into a bear like their father while Laya is able to transform into a swan like their mother. Since they’ve only just discovered their abilities, they must come to terms to what they are. They are both Jewish girls who live just outside a remote village near the border of Moldova and Ukraine. Liba is the responsible, rule-loving elder sister who is afraid to turn into a bear and doesn’t believe she will be able to control it. Laya, on the other hand, is much more free-spirited and wants to break free of the strict Jewish lifestyle, much like flying away and answering the call of her inner swan. Despite their differing personalities, Liba and Laya still very much love each other and support each other through the novel. It is a very touching sisterly relationship.

    Both sisters experience their first loves, again with Liba being much more conservative and Laya running off in secret. I especially love stories like Liba’s, being devoted to a conservative lifestyle is generally a good backdrop for a slow-burn romance, and I always respect the boys who follow the girls wishes.

    I really liked how Ms. Rossner immersed the reader into the remote village in Eastern Europe. As someone not very familiar with the customs and lifestyles of the area and Jewish people, I feel like I learned quite a bit. She incorporates a lot of history, food, religious practices and holidays, and more into the book. I know Ms. Rossner’s family actually comes from this area, but I am sure they would be proud of the representation here.

    The novel isn’t without flaws despite my 5 star rating. Laya’s chapters are actually written in verse, but Ms. Rossner’s poetry doesn’t really read much at all like poetry, just shortened versions of her regular writing. I think it was done to even further convey Laya’s free-spiritedness, but I am pretty sure most poets would be disappointed in the execution. Also, while Ms. Rossner does an excellent job in using her Jewish and Urkanian setting, she decides to use quite a lot of Hebrew, Yiddish, and Ukrainian words throughout the dialogue. There is a glossary available so the reader can look these up, but I found myself getting annoyed with how many times I had to use the glossary. Plus, I always had to basically check all 3 glossaries because I did not know which language the word was coming from. There seemed to be no recognizable flow to who was using which language and when they were using it. Maybe someone who is fluent in at least one of these languages would easily be able to flip to the appropriate glossary, but as an ignorant American they all looked like the same language to me. I apologize for my lack of knowledge in these languages, but there could have maybe either been less of these words used, or a combined alphabetical glossary of all 3 languages so I don’t have to flip through all 3 every time I need to look up a word.

    I highly recommend if you enjoy fairy-tale-like retellings, fantastical historical fiction, strong sibling relationships, and novels of self-discovery with romantic sub-plots. Again, very much a book for me and thus my 5 star rating. It’s a new favorite.
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  • Marlies Bontenbal
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very good.
    Reviewed in Germany on 2 February 2019
    Verified Purchase
    A modern fairytale for adults. Very good. Keeps you enchanted till the end.
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  • bookmolly
    4.0 out of 5 stars Wood magic, loving sisters and Jewish traditions
    Reviewed in Germany on 12 February 2022
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    Very well researched and yet fantastical. Interesting Atmosphere, threatening but loved. A coming of age where a girl learns to Accept her own nature and fights to survive and rescue her sister in an unfriendly world.
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  • Amazon Customer
    2.0 out of 5 stars lackluster at best
    Reviewed in Canada on 12 August 2019
    Verified Purchase
    the heroin of this novel is so annoying you hope she dies... this book was one i finished only on principle
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  • Iza
    4.0 out of 5 stars It surprised me
    Reviewed in the United States on 21 January 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This book popped up on Amazon, as a suggestion.

    Having read other books with Russian fairy tales, I craved more, so I decided to get it and read it. I'll be very honest. The first half of the book, I didn't know how I felt about it.

    See, it's more than just Russian folklore here. It's based on the nasty part of history that I avoid; it has a heavy religious theme and influence on the story and characters. I'm not one to read such books. It hurts too much to read about such things. Plus, one of the sisters was really annoying me, so I was this close to simply putting it aside and maybe start something new. I needed something deep, yet happy.

    As the blurb reveals, this book is about two sisters, Liba and Laya, and their relationship with one another, and others. One's eighteen, the other is fifteen, so they were ready to explore, to discover themselves. They were different; one was closer to their father, the other to their mother. And when their parents need to leave them alone, that's when things escalated and the annoying started.

    Laya fell in love with a mysterious stranger that came to their village, while Liba fell in love with a boy that grew up in the village. Seeing how they evolved and changed was the part I really enjoyed; you can tell the author really did the character development true.

    With kidnappings, running away, secret trysts, fated soul mates and the girls finally finding out truths about themselves and their families, where they come from - plus a murder needing to be solved - this book really turned around for me, after 50% and I'm really happy I didn't give up on it.

    I recommend this book. 4 - 4.5 stars.
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