Author: GennaRose Nethercott
Publisher: Anchor Books
Released: September 13, 2022
Received: Own (BOTM)

Book Summary:

What if Baba Yaga was real, and her story (lineage) lived on? What sort of adventures would her descendants find themselves in? Enter Ballatine and Isaac. Ballatine is a young woodworker with a secret. Isaac is a con artist charitably known as a street performer. He also has a secret, but it lies in his past.

Both siblings have something to run from. Yet they come together when a great inheritance is offered to them – Thistlefoot. Thistlefoot is a small home on chicken legs. It’s not your typical mobile home, and it comes with certain…complications.

“Sometimes the story you need is not the story you might want. I respect this. But I warn you, there are no jokes in this story. Yes?”

My Review:

Wow! Thistlefoot was such an intense read. I went into it expecting something fun and fascinating, and what I got was so much more. This is a book that isn’t afraid to get a bit dark. But it has a light and fascinating moments to help balance the story.

Thistlefoot is very steeped in folklore. Every chapter resonates with history, as the writer (GennaRose Netercott) tries to lead readers through a series of events, some of which are set long before our main characters were born.

Much like the entirety of this novel, the ending of Thistlefoot caught me by surprise. It’s one of those endings that will take time to process – and I think that makes me love this book all the more! If you’re looking for a heart-breaking yet heart-warming read, please consider picking it up.

Highlights:

• Mythology
• Baba Yaga
• Puppetry
• Multiple perspectives
• LGBT

Trigger Warnings:

• Infant death
• Antisemitism
• Animal death

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