"Juniper"- Book Review

Themes and Conflict

• Good vs. Evil
• Bravery
• Revenge
• Power and Corruption
• Magic
• Person vs. Self
• Person vs. Person

What is Juniper about?

Juniper (1990) is a young adult historical fantasy novel that was written by British author, journalist and activist Monica Furlong. It's the prequel spinoff and sequel to Monica Furlong's novels Wise Child (1987) and Colman (2003). Juniper, also known as Ninnoc by her cousin Gamal's friend Finbar is the only child of the opulently wealthy King Mark of Cornwall. She lives like a "bed of roses" and has everything she wishes for and needs such as clothes, jewels, ponies, cups set with precious stones, tasty food and beverages. However, that all changes when her parents send her to reside with her strict but wise godmother, Euny to learn and master the art of healing, herbology and divination. Unlike her life at Castle Dore, her godmother Euny is impoverished and doesn't possess many things in the hut she owns. She doesn't even have a fire to keep the house warm, and has very little food.

A year later, Juniper returns home to Castle Dore and finds out the real reason why she studied healing arts and magic. Her iniquitous aunt Meroot, who is a sorceress and the mother of Gamal is using her dark magic to vanquish the throne. She's laid an evil curse on the village that has destroyed the crops and young livestock. Even worse, she's threatened the life of Juniper's unborn brother, who will be the future king of Cornwall. Only Juniper, no matter how many times she's attempted to stop Meroot, has the power and ability to take control of the situation.

How did I find this book?

A week before the Coronavirus conquered the world, I was going for a stroll in the Yonge and Steeles vicinity of Toronto, Ontario, when I spontaneously found a "Little Free Library" in front of someone's house. As I approached the Little Free Library in front of the quaint-resembling red-bricked bungalow, I found a book that I've wanted to read for years. I eagerly took and brought it home with me. Once I returned home from the stroll, I stored it in "my large home library" for whenever I had the desire to read it. It stayed in the large home library for a year, until I finally decided to read it in June 2021.

What are my thoughts about this book?

Personally speaking, I found this book quite fascinating. Even though I enjoyed reading this fantastic story, I also found it quite triggering and sad. The protagonist Juniper and I could relate to each other and share quite a bit of similar personality traits and beliefs. She and I are both committed to what we do, kind to the people we love and care about, willing to learn and master things we want and need to, creative, intelligent, active and believe that there cannot be a life without wisdom and knowledge. It made me imagine Juniper and I becoming best friends and living a magnificent life in our own Wooden Palace together. Sometimes, I even dream of becoming a healer myself.

On the other hand, I had lots of resentment towards the aunt Meroot. When I think of Meroot, I imagine punching a mean old woman in the nose, hard enough to make her bleed inexorably. Meroot did so many cruel things that I just have no respect for. For instance, she treated her son Gamal like "someone who wasn't worthwhile enough" and refused Juniper to let her heal him, despite how unequivocally Juniper explained to Meroot that she's trained to heal him. To seek revenge and defend Gamal against Meroot, both Finbar and Juniper rescue him and bring him to Angharad's house (another healer in the village who worked alongside Euny as an apprentice during their youth) to recover. It goes to show that no matter how young or old you are, anyone can be evil. Women can be just as strong and authoritarian as men, especially in fantasy novels. Meroot is a perfect example of a woman who is strong and authoritarian and wants her way. I definitely had mixed emotions reading this story- anger, happiness, inspiration, excitement and fright.

Who do I recommend this book to?

Although this book is mainly targeted to kids and young adults, I don't see why adults can't benefit from reading this fantastic story. There are fantasy lovers of all ages, genders, races, religions and abilities on this earth we live in, so I recommend Juniper to anyone who has a penchant for history, herbology, magic and sorcery. The language is not too complex and the book is pretty small, so it would also make a nice read for those who like smaller books with less complicated language and short chapters. There are some lessons in the story that I think every reader will learn and remember for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, It's pretty difficult to get in the bookstores, depending on if you go to a thrift store or traditional bookstore like Indigo in Canada and Barnes and Noble in the US. Libraries and online stores like Amazon are also great options!

Because of the many emotions I felt while reading this story, I would give it a 4/5 star rating!

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