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Reviewed by Vincent Dublado for Readers' Favorite
The Girl With Sad Green Eyes by Lee Wanaselja sets the bar high when it comes to fusing classic storytelling and contemporary fairy tales. A story of abuse and the power of forgiveness, this is a story of a young girl, who, despite having sad green eyes, is unlike the girls from the village her age. She is described as being very fair which is complemented by the grace in her movement. But she doesn’t think of herself as pretty, and her six brothers and her mother reinforce the idea by plaguing her with insults. The forest has become her refuge, despite her father warning her of the dangers that lurk in it. But this very same forest is where she will find sanctuary away from the figure who betrays her love and faith.
Indeed, The Girl With Sad Green Eyes is not your average fairy tale. I can say without any fear of contradiction that this is one of the best fairy tales I have read, even though it is anchored firmly in the reality of child abuse. With such a sensitive theme, it can be challenging to take a story seriously that on the one hand provides magical creatures and on the other hand creates heartless human beings that a child is supposed to draw strength and security from. But then again, most classic fairy tales are built on the same model, and the alchemy of these two elements is what makes this story powerful, fantastic, and compelling. Lee Wanaselja delivers the tale in a poetic narrative with simple and effective language. It is rich in imagery and figurative words, yet it is free from ambiguity. This story is without a doubt a must-read. It brings dark reality and a soothing fantasy world together effectively, and I am not sure if reading this book just once would be enough.
