“The River Liss runs north to south, and its waters brim with grammar.”
What an absolutely musical opening sentence. I had to stop and reread it several times just to let it sink in. Amal El-Mohtar’s writing hugs the line between poetry and prose, and results in a truly delicious reading experience. This novella, based on the English ballad “The Bonny Swans,” tells the story of two sisters, Esther and Ysabel. Their family tends the willow trees that grow along the magical river Liss, and the young women sing to the trees to imbue the willows’ wood, bark, and leaves with magic (or “grammar,” as it is called in this book). The river flows out of the land of Arcadia, or Faerie, a mysterious country unbound by mortal time, from which few travelers ever return. When Esther falls in love with an Arcadian, and rejects a local suitor in favor of her faerie lover, her bond with Ysabel is tested and her life is threatened.
This book is a music lover’s dream. It is peppered throughout with excerpts of real ballads, and the sister’s bond finds expression in the duets they sing together. At one point, the sisters argue over whether murder ballads or riddle songs are preferable, and it manages to reveal so much about each girls’s personality and outlook on life. Overall, this was a haunting, intriguing little tale. I would love to read a full length novel set in this world. I’m excited to read more from Amal El-Mohtar in the future.
