About.com Rating



This beautifully-written and beautifully-produced book is a hefty tome both physically and emotionally. It's a depressing yet hopeful tale that won't be for everyone, and is probably best for older teen and adult readers.

Publication Information

• Full Title:The Kingdom of Little Wounds
• Author: Susann Cokal
• Publisher: Candlewick Press
• Publication Date: September 2013
• ISBN: 978-0-7636-6694-1 (hardcover), 978-0-7636-6907-2 (ebook)

Once Upon a Time

In a small Scandinavian country there is a city called Skyggehavn where the King and Queen live with their children. All of the couple's children have been struck with a mysterious illness and are confined to their beds. The King is an uninspiring ruler, easily manipulated by a plotting minor noble, and the Queen is half-mad, obsessed with her children's illness and its treatment.

In this world there also live two young women. One is a somewhat-disgraced seamstress, daughter of a lensgrinder, and the other is a slave (or former slave -- it's not really clear) from an unknown country in Africa who has become the royal children's favorite nurse. At first rivals, and eventually friends, Ava and Midi must survive the intrigues of court if they ever hope for a future for themselves.

A Dark Fairy Tale

You'll probably have noticed that I gave The Kingdom of Little Wounds a high star rating, and that's because it is beautifully written. It's a rich and sumptuous fairy tale into which the unpleasant realities of real life in 1572 have intruded.

Cokal manages to create a story that feels, at the same time, like the otherworldly existence of an old story that exists in all times and no time at all, and a tale that is a gritty portrayal of life for the common folk (and the royals) of the late 16th century Scandinavia.

And this rich story is packaged in a book just as alluring as its text. The cover design is dark and gorgeous,with old-book-inspired detail. Slip off the dust jacket and you'll find the spine blocked with a period design in copper foil. There are section dividers and chapter headings based on historical examples, and to finish it all, the edges of the pages are colored burgundy.

I've mentioned Candlewick Press before as a publisher that often produces really lovely books (such as here and here), and I think The Kingdom of Little Wounds may be their best yet.

Terrible Beauty

Be warned, though, this is definitely not a book for everyone. Each one of the significant characters has at least one truly unpleasant sexual experience (even the Queen). These scenes aren't described in great detail, but the writing is so good that anyone with a decent imagination can fill in the terrible details. There are descriptions of the horrific effects of the illnesses afflicting the royal children (which is probably syphilis) and the King, and the world of the 1570s was not, in any way, a gentle one.

The Kingdom of Little Wounds is unrelentingly depressing, and even I -- someone who can read whole books in one sitting under normal circumstances -- had to read it in small doses. There is hope at the end of the book, though, so if you find yourself becoming overwhelmed you can take heart in the fact that it does end, if not well, then at least better.

Beware the Deep Woods

For all its beauty, for all that I really loved the writing, and for all that I'm glad I read though to the end, I find it hard to recommend The Kingdom of Little Wounds. Yes, I gave it 4 stars, and I think it deserves them (I very nearly gave it more), but I can imagine many readers will be put off-- maybe even traumatized -- by the book's darkness.

Yet, I want people to read it (maybe not younger teens, but definitely older teens, and absolutely adults). So I guess what I'll say is this: if you, or whomever you buy books for, can handle a hefty dose of darkness and depression before finding the hope at the end, then give this book a try. On the other hand, sensitive readers and younger readers, the squeamish and the easily disturbed, should perhaps avoid The Kingdom of Little Wounds, because it will wound you.



Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.