LUCY IN HER SECRET WOOD by Christina M Pages

DUE OUT AUGUST 1, 2016

LUCY 

IN HER

SECRET WOOD

The Lucy Series

Book 1

by

Christina M Pages

BOOK DETAILS

(from Amazon)

AMAZON BUY LINK 

• Series: The Lucy Series
• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Waldorf Publishing; first edition (August 1, 2016)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1943848092
• ISBN-13: 978-1943848096

One night, Lucy s angry stepfather takes eight-year-old Lucy from the little room she has been locked away in for years, puts her in the backseat of his van, and leaves her in a remote English wood. Lucy has learned to read in her room years, and her only knowledge of nature comes from books. When she experiences the miraculous outdoors directly, she is full of wonder at the beauty and life all around her. Most of all, she is relieved to be free of her stepfather. Lucy discovers freedom, magic, and an extraordinary friendship, her first ever, with a surprise visitor, nine-year-old Will, who, bewitched by her wild eyes, long black hair and strange speech, brings her live chickens to give her eggs, food daily, and a recorder to imitate the wood s sounds. Lucy feels safe and at home for the first time, sleeping inside grandpa tree s hollow trunk, and playing woodland music during the day that puts a spell on all who hear it. Lucy s greatest fear is that she will be found. But the police do eventually capture her and take her to an orphanage run by strict nuns where the bullying and fascination for toys and television seem strange to Lucy who sees this man-made world as another prison, cut off from outdoor miracles. She eventually manages to escape back to the woods where she and Will, inside grandpa tree, experience magical guidance on how to continue their journey. Book 2 will be: Lucy and the Forest School of Wonder.

AUTHOR

 Christina Pagès grew up in the fields of Kent, England, and spent many carefree hours wandering the countryside with her three older sisters. After living in Spain for three years, Christina married and came to live in America in 1970. She began her studies in literature and poetry while raising four children, and received her Ph.D. in English in 1993. She received a publication award from the International Society of Poetry for her poetry collection, Shadow Words (Watermark Press, 2006), and was the California State Poetry Society s 19th Annual Contest Winner in 2005. Her second full collection of poetry, Remember Not to Forget was published by Summerland Publishing in 2013. Her children s chapter book, The Mountain Boy was published by the same company in 2007. Lucy in Her Secret Wood, is her first young adult novel. Since 1987, Christina has taught in various English departments of Universities/Colleges on both the East/West Coast. She is now teaching composition and literature at Santa Barbara College, and living in the beautiful valley of Ojai. Christina claims that her writing, painting, piano playing, gardening, all come from her love of nature as a child. Nature is a child s best friend, she says, it patiently waits to be conversed with and to feed a child s imagination/spirit.

REVIEW

This is one of those stories that grab you and won't let go, beautifully written.  It lets you go back to a magical time when you were a child.

The author lets you into a young girl's life. We get to know how her stepfather actually hated her, didn't want her and how he treated her, then abandoned her.  Lucy is strong and  we get the joy of following her through nature and the connection we all have with Mother Nature. Lucy's travels through natures brings her many relationships.  Many times we are trapped in the busy, hectic and unhappy world of today.  We don't take time to "smell the flowers" or look around us at the beauty that still exists.  We are too trapped in our world, a world that we live for others.  Maybe we should try being like Lucy and enjoy the natural surroundings that were given us.  Very good book to get away and maybe stop and "smell the flowers".  We'd be a whole lot happier and satisfied.  We need to TRY IT!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

I would give this book  5 STARS. 

Amazon Review Link