Some Kind of Fairy Tale by Graham Joyce

Reviewed by Kristin

Tara Martin believed that she had been lost in the Outwoods, some kind of enchanted forest in central England, for six months.  Imagine her surprise when she found that twenty years had passed in the “real world”.  Her parents are shocked when she shows up on their doorstep on Christmas Day.  Tara’s parents are older, silver haired, and traumatized by the loss of their teenage daughter.  Tara, however, looks like the 16-year-old who disappeared twenty years before.

When Tara disappeared, her boyfriend Richie was under suspicion, but eventually cleared.  Richie and Peter, Tara’s brother, were good friends but grew apart after Tara’s disappearance.  Richie has continued to play guitar but has become bitter and isolated.  Upon her confusing return, Tara turns to Richie for comfort outside of her family.

Peter is shocked and relieved by Tara’s reappearance.  Now a 40-year-old father, he becomes Tara’s confidante, even though she says no one will ever believe her story.  Peter’s wife Genevieve and their three children are confused, yet interested in this “new” member of their family.

Tara claims to have been lost in the bluebells and taken off by a fairy to a different world.  Hiero, as Tara called him, took Tara by horseback to a magical land where the inhabitants lived with different laws of nature.  The people (they did not care to be called “fairies”) interacted with each other and with the natural world in an entirely different way than that which Tara was accustomed.

Tara is perfectly willing to have her identify verified and to see a psychiatrist to try to figure out what has happened to her.  As the psychiatrist makes his reports in an attempt to explain why Tara is telling such a fantastical story, other narratives are interspersed suggesting that perhaps the story of a fairy world is true.

The book flips back and forth between the present and the past mystery world where Tara believes she has been.  Other minor storylines run throughout the book and are drawn together expertly by the author.  Also, a few surprise twists are thrown in near the end.  This is a quick and enjoyable book.


Note:  After Kristin submitted her review, we had another patron come to the reference desk to recommend the book.  In fact, this person (who reads a variety of genres) went back and checked out several other books by Joyce.If you have any interest in fantasy, this is an author you may want to try. Who knows? You may find a new author!