The Ogress and the Orphans

What I liked:
The Ogress and the Orphans take an old-time way of telling a story with a lesson, usually called a parable, making it relevant and engaging to today's young readers. This parable contains a wide range of characters with unique traits to move along the tale. The ogress is she who everyone thinks she is. He and the dragon might be precisely what you think. The town that been destroyed, and they turned on each other—the wide-eyed orphans who saw everything and wanted to tell the truth desperately. The spectacle in this tale is raw and truthful of the hard times we face in today's world, but what if we showed more kindness to each other, made someone's day just a bit better with a helping hand?
Final Verdict:
The parable of kindness and treating each other with respect is told in a way children will find engaging and enduring. I love stories that show children the truth and do not have the meaning hidden and hard to find. It also shows that we should question who is in charge if we feel or see things that don't seem right. This novel is a book of hope and light in a world that no longer seems bright.

What worked:
The author says she needed a way to heal her soul after the nastiness and cruelty that grew from a recent presidency. This book tells the story of how simple acts of kindness can spread, as others pass good feelings on to their neighbors. However, in order to share that lesson, the author needs to create a problem of meanness and prejudice. Young readers might not notice references to actual events, but many of the awful comments from characters are eerily disturbing. It’s hard to imagine formerly kind neighbors treating each other with suspicion and selfishness, and it’s all caused by the efforts of one character.
The author helps readers empathize with the ogress, as she’s a wonderfully kind creature. She loves helping others anonymously, out of the kindness of her heart, so the villagers of Stone-in-the-Glen are unaware of her generosity. She constantly tells herself, “The more I give, the more I have.” She takes a special interest in the orphans, as they suffer from the lack of community support. The ogress brings them extra food and steps in to help when other problems arise. The orphans receive strange dreams about what’s actually happening in the village, but it’s hard to trust thoughts that arise from touching books, wood, and stone. It’s fitting to note the characters’ realization that many solutions to problems can be found in books.
The author’s voice is descriptive and philosophical, and it’s shared in the manner of a storyteller. An interview with the author reveals this book began as a shorter fairy tale, but it developed a life of its own and became a novel. The whole tale sounds like the narrator is speaking directly to readers, and there are hints that the narrator is one of the characters. It’s fun to consider comments and evidence throughout the book and imagine the narrator’s identity. The narrator is omniscient at is aware of all events and thoughts. Readers are able to contrast the mayor’s greedy thoughts, words, and actions and contrast them the ogress’s benevolence toward animals, plants, and the villagers.
The final verdict:
How can good people be cruel to others? It’s refreshing to see the kindness of the ogress, and the perseverance of the orphans defeat the discord created by the mayor. I can’t think of any negatives about this book, and readers of all ages will love it.