Faery Tale: One Woman’s Search for Enchantment in a Modern World by Signe Pike
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Book editor Signe Pike was unhappy with working a corporate daily grind. Things come to a head when her father dies, leaving Signe confused about her ambivalent relationship with him and intensely grieving. She wants to recapture her childhood’s happy times, which felt magical.
After a trip to Mexico lures her into thinking that nature spirits might exist and desperately wanting to find proof that will restore the enchantment of her childhood, Signe books a trip to England, the Isle of Man, Ireland, and Scotland. In the U.K., she meets a quirky cast of characters, some famous, like artist Brian Froud. She finds an assortment of believers and unbelievers everywhere she goes. Some of her experiences seem psychic, while others are inexplicable.
While she admits she doesn’t find proof, she does find reasons to cling to hope. Questioning whether or not her experiences are merely her imagination, she wonders if that makes them any less real. And she does find beguiling evidence.
I enjoyed this book. Signe is a “normal” person (whatever that may be) who does seem a bit self-conscious about her quest. She pleads with us to understand she’s not crazy. But she didn’t come across to me as odd at all. Deep down inside, don’t most of us want mystery and magic in our lives?
By turns funny, sad, and poignant, the book may not convince everyone that faery folk exist. But Signe Pike’s quest makes for enjoyable reading. Finding definitive answers may be in her future, but that’s not the book’s point to me. The point is to find a passion for pursuing. We all need meaning in our lives and can all use a little help finding it. I recommend this book to anyone with an open mind and heart.
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