Now I remember, when I read Children of Crow Cove (or whatever it was called), I thought it was nice, but a bit strange, and very quiet, and I wasn't sure who would ever read it. Also, very Not American. I don't mean that in a bad way, in fact, that's why I read the Batchelders. But I don't know who to give this to. The child abuse makes it a tough sell for younger children, it's light on plot, and has a real folktale feeling to it. ( )

3.5 stars. Quiet thoughtfulness interspersed with adventure in a way that truly works. Read it slowly, savor it. Read Crow-Girl first if you can, but don't expect this to be an exact sequel - some people might like this better because it moves along with more dialog and a more traditional (American?) children's story style. ( )

I really liked this book. It's got a lot in common with [b:The Crow-Girl: The Children of Crow Cove|667660|The Crow-Girl The Children of Crow Cove|Bodil Bredsdorff|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176942681s/667660.jpg|653708], as it's the story of a young woman who wrestles the world into submission, more or less. But it's a lovely, lyrical journey. I love the way children change hands in these books, and how it all works out for the best. I also adore the way Bredsdorff has the (good) adults talk with the kids- they are free to make their own mistakes, free to wander off into the world, clearly valued and respected and missed, but free agents from an early age. ( )

Danish children's author Bodil Bredsdorff does it again in Eidi, the second book in her Children of Crow Cove series. Every bit as powerful as the first installment, The Crow-Girl, it follows the story of the eponymous Eidi, who, having come to Crow Cove in the first book, as part of Myna's improvised family, begins to think of leaving, and making her own way in the world. Setting out with little but her fantastically worked scarf - a advertisement, in those times, of a young woman's work, and a signal that she was open to employment - she eventually finds herself in a far town, taking an abused young orphan under her wing, and by so doing, discovering something surprising about herself.

With such a similar storyline - in both books, the heroine leaves Crow Cove, driven forth by a change in family circumstance (the death of Crow Girl's grandmother, the birth of Eidi's young half-brother), and finds herself "adopting" the stray(s) she encounters - this could very easily have felt like a formulaic reworking of the original. But though there are undeniable parallels, both structurally and stylistically, Eidi felt as fresh and true as the first, giving a nuanced portrait of a young person's conflicted dealings with home and family. Eidi's love for her mother, her feeling of being supplanted by her infant brother, her longing to be out on her own, and doing, all felt so achingly real to me! And the conclusion, in which she (like Myna) comes full circle, was deeply satisfying!

Bredsdorff really seems to respect both her characters and her readers, never assuming that, because they are young, they are incapable of appreciating complexity, or need to have reality sugar-coated for them. Given my overwhelmingly positive response to these first two novels, I'm excited to learn that the third, Tink, will be available in English this coming May! ( )