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Widdershins
by Charles de Lint

Widdershins Cover

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Powells.com Staff Pick

To say that Charles de Lint "returns to form" here would suggest that he left his form to begin with. Widdershins is top-notch de Lint, as fine an urban fantasy as he's ever written, and guaranteed to please his many die-hard fans... as well as earn him new ones.
Recommended by Rico, Powells.com

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Jilly Coppercorn and Geordie Riddell. Since they were introduced in the first Newford story, "Timeskip," back in 1989, their friends and readers alike have been waiting for them to realize what everybody else already knows: that they belong together. But they've been more clueless about how they feel for each other than the characters in When Harry Met Sally. Now in Widdershins, a stand-alone novel of fairy courts set in shopping malls and the Bohemian street scene of Newford's Crowsea area, Jilly and Geordie's story is finally being told.

Before it's over, we'll find ourselves plunged into the rancorous and sometimes violent conflict between the magical North American "animal people" and the more newly-arrived fairy folk. We'll watch as Jilly is held captive in a sinister world based on her own worst memories — and Geordie, attempting to help, is sent someplace even worse. And we'll be captivated by the power of love and determination to redeem ancient hatreds and heal old magics gone sour.

To walk "widdershins" is to walk counterclockwise or backwards around something. It's a classic pathway into the fairy realm. It's also the way people often back slowly into the relationships that matter, the real ones that make for a life. In Widdershins Charles de Lint has delivered one of the most accessible and moving works of his career.

Review:

"This pleasing addition to the popular Newford saga (The Onion Girl, etc.) brings series characters Jilly Coppercorn and Geordie Riddell together in a romantic relationship that's anything but simple. In de Lint's magic-realist universe, a version of contemporary North America, the supernatural is taken for granted and the occasional skeptic who doesn't understand that everyone else has routine encounters with fairies and Native American earth spirits is left very much in the dark. Many of the characters are folk musicians, one of whom begins the story under magical compulsion to perform for the fairy revels in a shopping mall after closing time. These fairies aren't necessarily of the cuddly sort — early on, a female musician barely escapes possible rape or murder from nasty little men. In the background, a great war is brewing between Native American spirits and those that came over with the white men, a situation that inevitably recalls Neil Gaiman's American Gods, to which this more intimate and folksy book compares favorably. Author tour. (May)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"De Lint weaves the individual characters' stories into a tight-knit whole....Many of his faithful readers see the people he has created as kin they want to keep up with. Walk widdershins (i.e., counterclockwise) once and you may, too." Booklist (Starred Review)

Review:

"Sentimental, wildly imaginative follow-up to The Onion Girl....Despite the convoluted lineages, a rather sweet relationship novel." Kirkus Reviews

Review:

"No one does it better." Alice Hoffman

Review:

"Widdershins seems to have tied all the strands of de Lint's writing together into a seamless whole, with that mythic quality he creates right at the core....Chalk it up to de Lint's masterful storytelling." Robert M. Tilendis, Green Man Review

Review:

"[V]intage de Lint and a perfect example of how his nontraditional approach to faerie works so well....Charles de Lint is one of my all-time favorite authors and...Widdershins...stand[s] up as some of the best writing he has done." Colleen Mondor, BookSlut

Review:

"[D]e Lint spins yet another magical story of the intersections between reality and the faerie and spirit world in this latest addition to the Newford opus, his twin loves of storytelling and music-making shining through every page....[H]ighly recommended." Library Journal

Review:

"I've praised de Lint's writing in the past, but I've run out of superlatives for Widdershins. It is easily one of the best — if not the best — novels in his vast library." Tom Knapp, Rambles.net

Synopsis:

Praise for Charles de Lint

“In de Lint’s capable hands, modern fantasy becomes something other than escapism. It becomes folk song, the stuff of urban myth.”

--The Phoenix Gazette

“De Lint is a romantic; he believes in the great things, faith, hope, and charity (especially if love is included in that last), but he also believes in the power of magic—or at least the magic of fiction—to open our eyes to a larger world.”

--Edmonton Journal

“A master storyteller…Blends Celtic, Native American, and other cultures into a seamless mythology that resonates with magic and truth.”

--Library Journal on The Onion Girl

“Like great writers of magic realism, De Lint writes about people in the world we know, encountering magic as part of that world.”

--Booklist on Spirits in the Wires

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About the Author

Charles de Lint and his wife, the artist MaryAnn Harris, live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. His evocative novels, including Moonheart, Forests of the Heart, and The Onion Girl, have earned him a devoted following and critical acclaim as a master of contemporary magical fiction in the manner of storytellers like John Crowley, Jonathan Carroll, Alice Hoffman, Ray Bradbury, and Isabel Allende.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 3 comments:
Margie, September 27, 2006 (view all comments by Margie)
Charles de Lint books are always a treat. He reminds you that there are still mysteries and wonder to be found in the world and out of it, you only have to look. Dealing with Jilly Coppercorn's disability (read Onion Girl first) and understanding how the psychological mind affects the physical body is a lesson everyone needs to learn. If you are not already a fan, begin reading his books and you won't be disappointed.
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mercymanic, September 22, 2006 (view all comments by mercymanic)
This is a wonderful read for die-hard fans and new readers alike.
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Kirsten, August 17, 2006 (view all comments by Kirsten)
I haven't read any Charles de Lint in a while, and this was a real treat! I would say it's accessible to folks who haven't read any of his other Newford novels or short stories, but the characters probably have more interest and resonance if you've known them longer. There are really two interconnected storylines here: One storyline follows Jilly Coppercorn as she struggles to work and enjoy life the way she did before the events in The Onion Girl. The other storyline involves escalating conflicts between the Old World fairies who came over to North America with the European immigrants, and the Cousins, the native spirits and beings. A lot of familiar Newford faces are in the mix, but there are some equally interesting new characters, and the whole thing is hugely absorbing and enjoyable.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780765312853
Author:
de Lint, Charles
Publisher:
Tor Books
Subject:
City and town life
Subject:
Man-woman relationships
Subject:
Fantasy - Contemporary
Copyright:
2006
Publication Date:
May 16, 2006
Binding:
Hardcover
Language:
English
Pages:
560
Dimensions:
9.46x6.88x1.53 in. 1.82 lbs.
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