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Thistlefoot
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Fantasy (2022), Nominee for Readers' Favorite Debut Novel (2022)The Yaga siblings--Bellatine, a young woodworker, and Isaac, a wayfaring street performer and con artist--have been estranged since childhood, separated both by resentment and by wide miles of American highway. But when they learn that they are to receive a mysterious inheritance, the siblings are reunited--only to discover that their bequest isn't land or money, but something far stranger: a sentient house on chicken legs.
Thistlefoot, as the house is called, has arrived from the Yagas' ancestral home in Russia--but not alone. A sinister figure known only as the Longshadow Man has tracked it to American shores, bearing with him violent secrets from the past: fiery memories that have hidden in Isaac and Bellatine's blood for generations. As the Yaga siblings embark with Thistlefoot on a final cross-country tour of their family's traveling theater show, the Longshadow Man follows in relentless pursuit, seeding destruction in his wake. Ultimately, time, magic, and legacy must collide--erupting in a powerful conflagration to determine who gets to remember the past and craft a new future.
An enchanted adventure illuminated by Jewish myth and adorned with lyrical prose as tantalizing and sweet as briar berries, Thistlefoot is an immersive modern fantasy saga by a bold new talent.
Thistlefoot, as the house is called, has arrived from the Yagas' ancestral home in Russia--but not alone. A sinister figure known only as the Longshadow Man has tracked it to American shores, bearing with him violent secrets from the past: fiery memories that have hidden in Isaac and Bellatine's blood for generations. As the Yaga siblings embark with Thistlefoot on a final cross-country tour of their family's traveling theater show, the Longshadow Man follows in relentless pursuit, seeding destruction in his wake. Ultimately, time, magic, and legacy must collide--erupting in a powerful conflagration to determine who gets to remember the past and craft a new future.
An enchanted adventure illuminated by Jewish myth and adorned with lyrical prose as tantalizing and sweet as briar berries, Thistlefoot is an immersive modern fantasy saga by a bold new talent.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published September 13, 2022
1818 people are currently reading
117244 people want to read
About the author
GennaRose Nethercott
7 books976 followersGENNAROSE NETHERCOTT is the author of a novel, Thistlefoot, a Vermont Book Award winning short story collection, Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart, and a book-length poem, The Lumberjack’s Dove, which was selected by Louise Glück as a winner of the National Poetry Series. A writer and folklorist alike, she helps create the podcast Lore, and she tours nationally and internationally performing strange tales (sometimes with puppets in tow). She lives in the woodlands of Vermont, beside an old cemetery.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,427 reviews
November 21, 2022
My standards for Baba Yaga retellings must be too high, because all that saved this were Bellatine and the pogroms background for the legend of Baba Yaga. Isaac, the overdescriptive writing, Isaac, the lack of explanation for the magic system, Isaac, and the absence of the witch herself were points against for me.
Which is a pity, the setting in New Orleans, and the fact that this is about the descendants of Baba Yaga rather than herself, were so very unique. I have read other Baba Yaga retellings set in WWII, but never one linked to the plight of the Jewish people, so that was an instant selling point. Cut that execrable crook Isaac and have only Bellatine as the main lead, and tone down the descriptiveness and meandering, and it'd have been so much better as a story. Thistlefoot, the house on chicken legs present in our times and in plain sight, stretches credulity a bit as well, so I'd really have appreciated a bit more elaboration on the magic.
Which is a pity, the setting in New Orleans, and the fact that this is about the descendants of Baba Yaga rather than herself, were so very unique. I have read other Baba Yaga retellings set in WWII, but never one linked to the plight of the Jewish people, so that was an instant selling point. Cut that execrable crook Isaac and have only Bellatine as the main lead, and tone down the descriptiveness and meandering, and it'd have been so much better as a story. Thistlefoot, the house on chicken legs present in our times and in plain sight, stretches credulity a bit as well, so I'd really have appreciated a bit more elaboration on the magic.
December 19, 2022
Wow, seems like the author worked really hard!!
September 30, 2023
TW: antisemitism; self harm; torture; genocide
This is the weaving of stories that I have not experienced since The Night Circus. It brings together Jewish folklore and history, the importance of stories and memories, the perseverance of culture in the midst of violence, tragedy and loss, family and friends, all interconnected with a strong sense of place and the house of Thistlefoot being it’s own character. This was sad and heartfelt and magical.
This is the weaving of stories that I have not experienced since The Night Circus. It brings together Jewish folklore and history, the importance of stories and memories, the perseverance of culture in the midst of violence, tragedy and loss, family and friends, all interconnected with a strong sense of place and the house of Thistlefoot being it’s own character. This was sad and heartfelt and magical.
August 20, 2022
I really liked this one. A fairy tale that seemed like something from my past. Beautiful characters, beautiful prose. It was, however, long. And that can be good because it's a story that's so gorgeous but it also takes a lot of time because the prose is too nice to speed read.
February 9, 2023
Why would I want a cure for who I am?
The cover drew me in, a House on chicken legs, I want to love it! The blurb promises eastern European folklore. This is a story about Baba Yaga's descendants who inherited said house shipped from Ukraine.
Maybe I'm not an enthusiast for retelling? The modern-day estranged siblings with magic powers live in New Orleans. I don't feel anything for these two characters. The story is also slooow. I gave up at 70% and skipped to the end. I probably wouldn't get this far if it weren't for January LaVoy's voice.
There are many glowing reviews so please check out those.
November 22, 2022
actual rating: 4.5 stars
July 10, 2023
this is an objectively perfect book and no i will not be taking any critiques on it thank you
September 14, 2022
I received an ARC of Thistlefoot from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
I wanted to like this book so bad. I really did. The premise was intriguing, and I love a good retelling. And a Baba Yaga retelling? I haven't read one of those in who knows how long, so I was excited to dig into Thistlefoot.
Let me start by saying that I did not finish this book. I tried so hard. But there are some books you just have to put down no matter how badly you think you should complete them. Thistlefoot was one of those books for me. I made it 60% of the way through. But whenever I picked up my phone to start another reading session, I didn't want to. It was at that point that I decided I needed to stop. Maybe the book wasn't for me if I was forcing myself to get through it.
I think the biggest turn-off was how the story was written. There was a lot of stuff happening. But at the same time, there wasn't. Which I know doesn't really make sense, but it was all in the way that it was written. The reason that it seemed like there was so much stuff happening was that the author was so descriptive. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily, but it becomes slightly tedious when you read a different description for the same thing five other times. And then another couple of times because we started a new paragraph. There were just so many words.
Don't get me wrong, the descriptions were very well done, and I would have had no issue with them ... if I was reading poetry. The 60% that I read felt like one insanely long poem. And I really just couldn't get past it. It felt like trying to run in a pool, and that dragging, motionless sensation was what I was getting while reading. I just wasn't going anywhere. Obviously, the story was moving along, but an entire chapter would be dedicated to describing how Bellatine's hands feel. I'd get through it and go, "So nothing actually happened?"
And on the topic of Bellatine's hands, the magic system in Thistlefoot was sort of confusing. Apparently, magic has always been a thing, which is fantastic, but nothing is actually described. Crazy, I know, with the amount of description everything else gets. I don't know how this magic system works, and I know even less about how Isaac and Bellatine's magic works. Granted, that may have been explained more if I had gotten further, but again, I just couldn't bring myself to do it.
I know I'm in the minority opinion about this book because everyone seems to love it. It is beautifully written, yes. And I liked the mysterious, magical feel surrounding the setting and the characters. But it just wasn't for me, unfortunately.
I wanted to like this book so bad. I really did. The premise was intriguing, and I love a good retelling. And a Baba Yaga retelling? I haven't read one of those in who knows how long, so I was excited to dig into Thistlefoot.
Let me start by saying that I did not finish this book. I tried so hard. But there are some books you just have to put down no matter how badly you think you should complete them. Thistlefoot was one of those books for me. I made it 60% of the way through. But whenever I picked up my phone to start another reading session, I didn't want to. It was at that point that I decided I needed to stop. Maybe the book wasn't for me if I was forcing myself to get through it.
I think the biggest turn-off was how the story was written. There was a lot of stuff happening. But at the same time, there wasn't. Which I know doesn't really make sense, but it was all in the way that it was written. The reason that it seemed like there was so much stuff happening was that the author was so descriptive. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily, but it becomes slightly tedious when you read a different description for the same thing five other times. And then another couple of times because we started a new paragraph. There were just so many words.
Don't get me wrong, the descriptions were very well done, and I would have had no issue with them ... if I was reading poetry. The 60% that I read felt like one insanely long poem. And I really just couldn't get past it. It felt like trying to run in a pool, and that dragging, motionless sensation was what I was getting while reading. I just wasn't going anywhere. Obviously, the story was moving along, but an entire chapter would be dedicated to describing how Bellatine's hands feel. I'd get through it and go, "So nothing actually happened?"
And on the topic of Bellatine's hands, the magic system in Thistlefoot was sort of confusing. Apparently, magic has always been a thing, which is fantastic, but nothing is actually described. Crazy, I know, with the amount of description everything else gets. I don't know how this magic system works, and I know even less about how Isaac and Bellatine's magic works. Granted, that may have been explained more if I had gotten further, but again, I just couldn't bring myself to do it.
I know I'm in the minority opinion about this book because everyone seems to love it. It is beautifully written, yes. And I liked the mysterious, magical feel surrounding the setting and the characters. But it just wasn't for me, unfortunately.
September 26, 2023
If a story does its job, it doesn’t ever end. Not really. But it can change. This is the nature of folktales. They shift to fit each teller. Take whatever form suits the bearer best. What begins as a story of sorrow can be acknowledged, held like a sweetheart to the chest, rocked and sung to. And then, it can be set down to sleep. It can become an offering. A lantern. An ember to lead you through the dark.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
❗This review may contain some minor spoilers❗
I can't tell you how delighted I am that this buddy read was such a success. @♡ Meli ♡ thanks for suggesting we read this, it was the best decision ever! I expected that I would like it, I just didn't know it would be this much.
To begin with, the plot is spectacularly intelligent, well thought out, and complex. I was amazed at its strangeness, the crazy, unexpected revelations that came one after the other, and the way it thoroughly manipulated my thoughts and emotions. Not to mention, that magnificent ending left me with bittersweet tears running down my face. I was wholly at this book's mercy! Besides, I have always had a weak spot for books based on folklore or mythologies and this one is no exception. The author, GennaRose Nethercott, merged historical facts with fantasy and folklore so perfectly that I couldn't tell apart reality from fiction. She took Baba Yaga's lore and made it even more epic than it already was. There is only one questionable moment that left me wondering had just read, but it just left me more bewildered rather than anything else. Additionally, I am not the biggest fan of books with multiple points of view, those with more than two or three narrators, at least. However, this story somehow makes it work. While there are three main narrators, the protagonists, Issac and Bellatine, and the house, Thistlefoot (yeap! the house narrates and it's awesome!!), there are several other narrations of secondary or lower characters. It may seem a bit annoying to some, myself included, but in this case, they only added more intrigue and suspense to the story. There aren't a lot of authors who can pull this off. Most of the time I'm begging for the chapters to end so I can get to the ones I like the most. Nonetheless, it is always fascinating to get a firsthand experience from each character, even if constantly switching from one point of view to the other, then to another, can be a bit exhausting.
Furthermore, I am enchanted by the Yaga siblings. Issac is a human mess of self-depreciation, self-harm, and bad decisions. He is a spineless opportunist, who only knows how to save himself. In spite of that, he hides compassion, love, and pain inside of him in a way that makes him more authentic than most literary characters. He has a special power that allows him to shift into any person whose appearance he memorised (and he memorised a lot) that helps him scam and manipulate those around him. He is by no means a hero, in fact, he is quite the opposite. He is so deeply flawed and untrustworthy that no one should like him, yet they can't help but do, myself included.
In addition, his sister is nothing like him. Bellatine Yaga is a dedicated, kindhearted, and solemn young woman, afraid of herself and what she can do if she loses control for even a second. Just like her brother, she has a special power. However, hers is stranger and far more frightening than Issac's. She has the ability to animate humanoid objects, among other spookier things, yet has little to no control over it. This has led to her hating and fearing her powers, hiding them at all costs, and keeping even those closest to her at arm's length.
Additionally, what I particularly like about the Yaga siblings is their relationship. They had become estranged after Issac unexpectedly and unceremoniously ran away from home at the age of seventeen. After many years of not seeing each other, Bellatine and Issac meet again after inheriting Thistlefoot from a deceased, mysterious grandmother from Russia. Issac
Moreover, the most fascinating and important character in this book is, of course, Thistlefoot. Similar to the lore, it is a house with chicken legs that it uses to move about tirelessly. It also has a mind and feelings of its own and an aptitude for storytelling. Its point of view is purposed to provide vital context largely happening in the past, more specifically, Baba Yaga's and its backstory. Thistlefoot's point of view is naturally the most interesting of all others as it holds the truth about what is happening in the present and how it came to be, giving the information to the reader little by little in the most captivating and tantalising manner.
Nevertheless, these three main characters are not the only interesting ones in this book. Firstly, we have adorable, fearless Winifred Hardley with a peculiar background. Winnie becomes Issac and Bellatine's companion sometime during their tour through some strange and unexpected circumstances. She is a lovely addition to their team. She is compassionate and loyal, and good-natured. She is also my favourite character in the book after Issac's cat, Hobcap. Unsurprisingly, the cute cat is the one who stole my heart with her cute, clawed paws. There is literally no one more loyal and protective than her in the entire book. Even when Issac didn't want her, she refused to leave his side. There's also the Duskbreakers band, which constitutes of Shona, the headstrong leader, Rummy, the empath, and Sparrow, the scientist. They are a music band turned vigilante heroes, protecting people from the big bad evil lurking in their country. They started out giving a bit of an asshole vibe, but soon after they proved to be a huge help to the siblings and eventually formed a bond with them. Besides, while there isn't much in the way of romance as it is not the main focus of the story, there is enough between Bellatine and Winnie, and Issac and Shona that turned me into a bit of a simp.
Finally, there is the antagonist, the Longshadow Man. He is an evil ghoul that wreacks havoc on anyone who crosses his path, yet his actions are not as purposeless as they seem at first. He is persistently looking for Thistlefoot, and while his intentions are not clear from the start, they are starkly malicious. Despite his devilish character, he is absurdly fascinating. He is a mystery for the majority of the book and is immensely powerful, able to manipulate people by using their fears to convince them to commit violent crimes.
All in all, this is an incredibly fascinating read. I am so glad I found a reason to read it, even though I should have done so sooner. The plot is incredible, the characters are awesome, and the lore is absolutely magnificent. Once again, thank you @♡ Meli ♡ and @lujine ♡ for giving me an excuse to read it, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, and I apologies to those who are going to read my review thinking it'll be a short one.
dnf
November 8, 2022Dnf at 30-ish %
Why?
It feels like one of those books that the author is like “oh look at all these adjectives, my writing is SO good guys, let’s sprinkle in some more adjectives….hmmmm maybe some metaphors, a few similes, yes….a bit more….good, yes…my writing is so brilliant, okay let’s be cheeky and address the reader directly with some illogical nonsense cuz that’s artistic….”
Good characters? Good story? Eh, who needs ‘em.
I simply do not care about what is happening and there is no question I need answered that would compel me to keep reading. My life is too short to waste any more time on this…
Why?
It feels like one of those books that the author is like “oh look at all these adjectives, my writing is SO good guys, let’s sprinkle in some more adjectives….hmmmm maybe some metaphors, a few similes, yes….a bit more….good, yes…my writing is so brilliant, okay let’s be cheeky and address the reader directly with some illogical nonsense cuz that’s artistic….”
Good characters? Good story? Eh, who needs ‘em.
I simply do not care about what is happening and there is no question I need answered that would compel me to keep reading. My life is too short to waste any more time on this…
September 23, 2022
Pretty writing in places, but the book has no soul. You look into the characters' eyes and see nothing below the surface.
A book with lots of description works only if you care about the characters and their world and it's built up carefully so that the pieces interlock without gaps.
Unfortunately, this work tries to create suspense by leaving out essential information. I didn't finish the book, so I don't know if we are ever awarded with this information. However, from reading other reviews, it seems not. What's at fault is that the book tries to do too much; the ideas crowd each other out so none are satisfactorily developed.
But really, it's the characters that are lacking. They're one-dimensional. They are juvenile and mean. Even the do-gooders are cruel in speech and action. Any kindness we find (Bellatine towards the house, for example), is mediocre; her connection with the house doesn't preclude her taking orders from an older brother represented only by his desire to manipulate and turning the house into a theater. It isn't love, it's a contrivance that doesn't fill the storyline's need for real emotion.
I think it's this lack of emotion and interconnectedness that makes every action the characters take unbelievable, and in fact this whole world unbelievable. The characters are like the puppets of the story: just stuffing and button eyes propelled jerkily through the scenes.
A book with lots of description works only if you care about the characters and their world and it's built up carefully so that the pieces interlock without gaps.
Unfortunately, this work tries to create suspense by leaving out essential information. I didn't finish the book, so I don't know if we are ever awarded with this information. However, from reading other reviews, it seems not. What's at fault is that the book tries to do too much; the ideas crowd each other out so none are satisfactorily developed.
But really, it's the characters that are lacking. They're one-dimensional. They are juvenile and mean. Even the do-gooders are cruel in speech and action. Any kindness we find (Bellatine towards the house, for example), is mediocre; her connection with the house doesn't preclude her taking orders from an older brother represented only by his desire to manipulate and turning the house into a theater. It isn't love, it's a contrivance that doesn't fill the storyline's need for real emotion.
I think it's this lack of emotion and interconnectedness that makes every action the characters take unbelievable, and in fact this whole world unbelievable. The characters are like the puppets of the story: just stuffing and button eyes propelled jerkily through the scenes.
October 29, 2022
I hated this. The author mauls you with her premise of intergenerational trauma and inherited memory. Nothing about this book is subtle. It was overwritten and 200 pages too long. And despite the plot’s roots in Russian Jewish folklore, traditional Judaism, yiddishkeit and Jewish mysticism, the characters have no real connection to even a secular Jewish identity and that made this feel appropriated to me (regardless of whether the author is Jewish, which I do not know). That all of a sudden they know about the shofar at the end feels discordant, and I do not understand how a clay jug with the bottom knocked out can function or sound ANYTHING like a rams horn. That they’re also throwing salt and doing an “exorcism” feels like Christian hegemony was too strong for even Baba Yaga to overcome.
Furthermore, why do Benji and Isaac speak like they started riding the rails in 1930 and not 2013?
What the hell is up with Winnie and why is she in this story?
Why is it never explained how they toured with their parents their whole childhood and then their parents basically became neglectful and emotionally distant?
In sum, this was maddening, slow, and too enamored of its “profound” message and “poetic” prose.
Furthermore, why do Benji and Isaac speak like they started riding the rails in 1930 and not 2013?
What the hell is up with Winnie and why is she in this story?
Why is it never explained how they toured with their parents their whole childhood and then their parents basically became neglectful and emotionally distant?
In sum, this was maddening, slow, and too enamored of its “profound” message and “poetic” prose.
October 9, 2022
Bellatine Yaga is a carpenter who hasn’t seen her brother Isaac since he up and left during her childhood. But when they both receive a message about a mysterious inheritance waiting to be picked up, they once again reunite. They discover they now own a house on chicken legs that seems to be somewhat sentient. Isaac, being ever-intent on the next big haul, insists that they take the house on the road for a show. But what they don’t realize is that someone – or something – has followed the house from Russia and is hunting it and those who live inside it.
This was such a lovely and intense read. It started off intriguing simply because it was a modern-day nod the Baba Yaga myth, but as the work went on, its depth grew as it explored healing from multi-generational trauma. I enjoyed the odd magics that were included, and the different way magic was manifested, though I would have loved a bit more of explanation included concerning this. I also loved the explanation of the antagonist – it took the story up a level, as well as the meaningful inclusion of Jewish folklore and history.
I thought there was going to be something semi-important left unexplained, but my question was answered at the end of the work. I also enjoyed how the work was set up, with some alternating chapters told from a surprising POV. The exploration of the different characters’ personal and familial traumas added some serious depth to them. I have no complaints about this stunning work of fantasy, and highly recommend it to everyone!
My thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for allowing me to read and review this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
This was such a lovely and intense read. It started off intriguing simply because it was a modern-day nod the Baba Yaga myth, but as the work went on, its depth grew as it explored healing from multi-generational trauma. I enjoyed the odd magics that were included, and the different way magic was manifested, though I would have loved a bit more of explanation included concerning this. I also loved the explanation of the antagonist – it took the story up a level, as well as the meaningful inclusion of Jewish folklore and history.
I thought there was going to be something semi-important left unexplained, but my question was answered at the end of the work. I also enjoyed how the work was set up, with some alternating chapters told from a surprising POV. The exploration of the different characters’ personal and familial traumas added some serious depth to them. I have no complaints about this stunning work of fantasy, and highly recommend it to everyone!
My thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for allowing me to read and review this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
October 11, 2023
Thank you so much to Anchor Books/Penguin Random House for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
There is no such thing as a ghost of the dead. Yet suffering has a way of begging to be remembered. Sometimes, as a story. Sometimes, as a wraith.
Reading this book felt like a part of my own soul was carved out of my depths and projected on the page in front of me. I imagine the horror I feel is not unlike the way someone who has only ever seen themself through a reflection must feel when they see themself in a photograph for the first time. A knowing and unknowing.
Thistlefoot tells the story of the Yaga siblings, estranged for many years after growing up together in a family puppet theater. But when they find themselves reunited by a phone call, informing them of an inheritance: a house on chicken legs called Thistlefoot, they turn their new home into a traveling puppet theatre on a cross-country road trip to perform a show - The Drowning Fool - from their youth. But little do they know that their past is haunting them in more ways than one.
GennaRose has written a love letter to folklore and its ever-changing nature, to puppetry and the power of performance, to generational trauma and the importance of history retold, and to storytelling both as an art and as an act of resistance.
Despite its characters’ innate inability to do so, this book plants roots. Like a forest, there’s a whole system of wooden tendrils beneath its surface, burrowed between the pages, stretching back to the past and reaching towards the future. A whole life tangling beneath your (metaphorical) feet. Its themes, its characters, its plotlines interconnect in ways that only begin to break the surface. Each begotten fruit, each unfurled blossom the product of a history and a future unseen, a gift to the reader as we make our way through the complex, snarling terrain of this world and its many unfolding tales.
I unfortunately cannot begin to break down the many amazing elements of this book or we'll be here for ages, so let me just quickly list some of my favorite things: a sentient house with its own POV that talks like a Jewish grandmother, an interwoven puppetry show, Baba Yaga as a protective and strong Jewish woman in a Russian shtetl, a new twist on the golem myth paired with conversations about control and life itself, maybe the weirdest sapphic relationship I've ever read, a nonbinary scientist, lavender cigarettes, a joke about Stanislavsky, the concept of ghost as memory (THE CONCEPT OF GHOST AS MEMORY!!), and a dissection of modern American folklore.
This book is for all those who have spent so long looking ahead, they’ve forgotten where their path began. (And for Jewish puppeteers.) Kill the lantern. Raise the ghost.
CW: antisemitism, genocide, eugenics, violence, gun violence, fire, death, child death, character death, grief, PTSD, murder, drugging, alcohol consumption, blood & gore, smoking, self-inflicted harm, migraines, racism, car accident, adult/minor relationship (kinda?), emesis, needles (brief), cannibalism (mention), decapitation (mention)
There is no such thing as a ghost of the dead. Yet suffering has a way of begging to be remembered. Sometimes, as a story. Sometimes, as a wraith.
Reading this book felt like a part of my own soul was carved out of my depths and projected on the page in front of me. I imagine the horror I feel is not unlike the way someone who has only ever seen themself through a reflection must feel when they see themself in a photograph for the first time. A knowing and unknowing.
Thistlefoot tells the story of the Yaga siblings, estranged for many years after growing up together in a family puppet theater. But when they find themselves reunited by a phone call, informing them of an inheritance: a house on chicken legs called Thistlefoot, they turn their new home into a traveling puppet theatre on a cross-country road trip to perform a show - The Drowning Fool - from their youth. But little do they know that their past is haunting them in more ways than one.
GennaRose has written a love letter to folklore and its ever-changing nature, to puppetry and the power of performance, to generational trauma and the importance of history retold, and to storytelling both as an art and as an act of resistance.
Despite its characters’ innate inability to do so, this book plants roots. Like a forest, there’s a whole system of wooden tendrils beneath its surface, burrowed between the pages, stretching back to the past and reaching towards the future. A whole life tangling beneath your (metaphorical) feet. Its themes, its characters, its plotlines interconnect in ways that only begin to break the surface. Each begotten fruit, each unfurled blossom the product of a history and a future unseen, a gift to the reader as we make our way through the complex, snarling terrain of this world and its many unfolding tales.
I unfortunately cannot begin to break down the many amazing elements of this book or we'll be here for ages, so let me just quickly list some of my favorite things: a sentient house with its own POV that talks like a Jewish grandmother, an interwoven puppetry show, Baba Yaga as a protective and strong Jewish woman in a Russian shtetl, a new twist on the golem myth paired with conversations about control and life itself, maybe the weirdest sapphic relationship I've ever read, a nonbinary scientist, lavender cigarettes, a joke about Stanislavsky, the concept of ghost as memory (THE CONCEPT OF GHOST AS MEMORY!!), and a dissection of modern American folklore.
This book is for all those who have spent so long looking ahead, they’ve forgotten where their path began. (And for Jewish puppeteers.) Kill the lantern. Raise the ghost.
CW: antisemitism, genocide, eugenics, violence, gun violence, fire, death, child death, character death, grief, PTSD, murder, drugging, alcohol consumption, blood & gore, smoking, self-inflicted harm, migraines, racism, car accident, adult/minor relationship (kinda?), emesis, needles (brief), cannibalism (mention), decapitation (mention)
April 27, 2023
HAPPY RELEASE WEEK TO THISTLEFOOT!
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this to review; I was just amazed by this book.
We often wonder with dismay how history can repeat - but if events haunted us like people - if there was a literal specter of the past continually harming people through time, would it make a little more sense?
"Kill the lantern,
raise the ghost."
I was stuck as to where to start this review because this book feels...like so much. Much as Thistlefoot is more than a house, this story is more than words put together on a page. Literally everyone should read it - it taught me history that my many years of school never touched.
Two siblings, descendants of the Baba Yaga, inherit her animated house after a predetermined amount of time, dozens of years. Our main characters exist in almost a liminal space in society and time for me as a reader; there are so many anachronistic features to their story. Like a vaudeville relic, their family are a show troupe and traveling act. Isaac is a throwback to the vagabonds of the 30s, a greasy trickster archetype dressed in a threadbare suit, chainsmoking and hitching rides on trains to crisscross the country. Bellatine spends her time on carpentry and making the sets when they reunite to put on more shows from the stage of their new inheritance, Thistlefoot's porch. But then there are cellphones and things that remind you they're living now.
Let me mention the minimal issues I had. I didn't particularly care for any of the characters, and the book certainly slowed down at times. Some passages, though beautiful and painful, had an overwritten and overly floral vibe which resulted in some dense areas.
Now, to the good, which is everything else. The incredible prose for the most part, the lore, the emotional reckoning with painful, concealed history, queer inclusion without feeling forced in, and a plot filled with bizarre, magical anachronisms that grabbed me by the lapels as I read. The writing is so gorgeous - cruel and gritty when it needs to be, heartwrenching when moments call for it. There are chapters written in the cottage's POV that absolutely shone for me.
The magic isn't your fairy godmother waving a wand, warning. Baba Yaga swipes up her own menstrual blood for a spell when needed, there is animal death mentioned, and some necromancy. The magical realism is off the charts - one passage mentions houses getting up and moving, like Thistlefoot, in reaction to flooding from a hurricane. Incredible imagery.
In the end, Thistlefoot was an evocative if solemn journey reckoning with painful legacy, told with magic steeped in Slavic and Jewish folklore that should appeal to a wide audience. Five full stars.
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this to review; I was just amazed by this book.
We often wonder with dismay how history can repeat - but if events haunted us like people - if there was a literal specter of the past continually harming people through time, would it make a little more sense?
"Kill the lantern,
raise the ghost."
I was stuck as to where to start this review because this book feels...like so much. Much as Thistlefoot is more than a house, this story is more than words put together on a page. Literally everyone should read it - it taught me history that my many years of school never touched.
Two siblings, descendants of the Baba Yaga, inherit her animated house after a predetermined amount of time, dozens of years. Our main characters exist in almost a liminal space in society and time for me as a reader; there are so many anachronistic features to their story. Like a vaudeville relic, their family are a show troupe and traveling act. Isaac is a throwback to the vagabonds of the 30s, a greasy trickster archetype dressed in a threadbare suit, chainsmoking and hitching rides on trains to crisscross the country. Bellatine spends her time on carpentry and making the sets when they reunite to put on more shows from the stage of their new inheritance, Thistlefoot's porch. But then there are cellphones and things that remind you they're living now.
Let me mention the minimal issues I had. I didn't particularly care for any of the characters, and the book certainly slowed down at times. Some passages, though beautiful and painful, had an overwritten and overly floral vibe which resulted in some dense areas.
Now, to the good, which is everything else. The incredible prose for the most part, the lore, the emotional reckoning with painful, concealed history, queer inclusion without feeling forced in, and a plot filled with bizarre, magical anachronisms that grabbed me by the lapels as I read. The writing is so gorgeous - cruel and gritty when it needs to be, heartwrenching when moments call for it. There are chapters written in the cottage's POV that absolutely shone for me.
The magic isn't your fairy godmother waving a wand, warning. Baba Yaga swipes up her own menstrual blood for a spell when needed, there is animal death mentioned, and some necromancy. The magical realism is off the charts - one passage mentions houses getting up and moving, like Thistlefoot, in reaction to flooding from a hurricane. Incredible imagery.
In the end, Thistlefoot was an evocative if solemn journey reckoning with painful legacy, told with magic steeped in Slavic and Jewish folklore that should appeal to a wide audience. Five full stars.
May 21, 2024
My heart! 😭
This book features in my Spring TBR video on BookTube.🌷
"We cannot forget. I cannot forget. And if I am to remember, so too, I vow, will you."
At the heart of this book is a deeply moving message about the importance of acknowledging the wrongs of the past and remembering them so that we don't repeat our mistakes. The way this message is delivered nearly moved me to tears.
This story of the estranged Yaga siblings contains darkness, magic, and mystery. There's also a strange little cat that insists on following one of the siblings around (so darling!).
My favorite thing about this book is the surprising discovery that some chapters are narrated by the house itself. I enjoyed these chapters the most while listening to the audiobook.
Highly recommend this book if you're a fan of The Night Circus or The Lonely Hearts Hotel.
--
ORIGINAL POST 👇
Am I in the market for a dark retelling of Eastern European folklore? Yes, yes I am. 🐤🏠
This is the story of the Yaga siblings who have been estranged since childhood but are reunited when they receive a mysterious inheritance, which takes the form of a sentient house on chicken legs called Thistlefoot. (Not me thinking it would be money or land. 🤭 Hah!)
The blurb says the Yaga siblings embark on a cross-country theater tour with Thistlefoot and are pursued by a sinister figure known as the Longshadow Man and the house’s original inhabitant, Baba Yaga. Folklore, theater, a dark shadowy figure? Um, yes, SIGN ME UP!
On top of all that, early reviews are strong, and the book is said to have "lyrical prose as tantalizing as sweet brierberries". I'm a sucker for some lyrical prose. Looking forward to reading this book immensely. 📕👀
This book features in my Spring TBR video on BookTube.🌷
"We cannot forget. I cannot forget. And if I am to remember, so too, I vow, will you."
At the heart of this book is a deeply moving message about the importance of acknowledging the wrongs of the past and remembering them so that we don't repeat our mistakes. The way this message is delivered nearly moved me to tears.
This story of the estranged Yaga siblings contains darkness, magic, and mystery. There's also a strange little cat that insists on following one of the siblings around (so darling!).
My favorite thing about this book is the surprising discovery that some chapters are narrated by the house itself. I enjoyed these chapters the most while listening to the audiobook.
Highly recommend this book if you're a fan of The Night Circus or The Lonely Hearts Hotel.
--
ORIGINAL POST 👇
Am I in the market for a dark retelling of Eastern European folklore? Yes, yes I am. 🐤🏠
This is the story of the Yaga siblings who have been estranged since childhood but are reunited when they receive a mysterious inheritance, which takes the form of a sentient house on chicken legs called Thistlefoot. (Not me thinking it would be money or land. 🤭 Hah!)
The blurb says the Yaga siblings embark on a cross-country theater tour with Thistlefoot and are pursued by a sinister figure known as the Longshadow Man and the house’s original inhabitant, Baba Yaga. Folklore, theater, a dark shadowy figure? Um, yes, SIGN ME UP!
On top of all that, early reviews are strong, and the book is said to have "lyrical prose as tantalizing as sweet brierberries". I'm a sucker for some lyrical prose. Looking forward to reading this book immensely. 📕👀
November 4, 2022
"A spectacle, a miracle, an abomination! Call it what you will, the Thistlefoot Traveling Theater is here to dazzle and dismay! You don't know it yet, but your life is changing tonight. Do you believe in magic? No? Let us prove you wrong!"
Two of Baba Yaga's descendants have inherited her amazing house with chicken legs, and all the wonders that lie within. Since this may be the original mobile home, the Yagas have decided they're getting their act together, and taking it on the road. Unfortunately they're being followed by a mysterious man who's bent on destroying the house.
This book was utterly magical. And, having the legendary witch deal with the very real horrors of World War ll lent a poignant and sobering touch to the enchanting tale.
It is impossible to take a step without walking through a ghost. Every memory creates one. Every version of ourselves leaves a shadow self behind. Every regret and every promise and every touch of skin against skin.
A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this delightful read.
Two of Baba Yaga's descendants have inherited her amazing house with chicken legs, and all the wonders that lie within. Since this may be the original mobile home, the Yagas have decided they're getting their act together, and taking it on the road. Unfortunately they're being followed by a mysterious man who's bent on destroying the house.
This book was utterly magical. And, having the legendary witch deal with the very real horrors of World War ll lent a poignant and sobering touch to the enchanting tale.
It is impossible to take a step without walking through a ghost. Every memory creates one. Every version of ourselves leaves a shadow self behind. Every regret and every promise and every touch of skin against skin.
A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this delightful read.
October 7, 2022
A beautifully written adult fairy tale.
Unfortunately because it is a fairy tale some of the main characters are frustrating naive/ selfish/or make poor decisions so that we can learn lessons from their woes which gets irritating after awhile.
Isaac reminds me a lot of Caillou. He makes dumb ass decisions and then we have to watch him get lectured, when really we just want him to stop being an asshole.
I also found the current time line hard to keep a grasp on. Issac was living some kind of hobo fantasy that I'm not sure exists today and it felt like he was living 100 years in the past but in the present.
While I can tell a lot of time, research and care went into its creation, this book just wasn't for me.
Unfortunately because it is a fairy tale some of the main characters are frustrating naive/ selfish/or make poor decisions so that we can learn lessons from their woes which gets irritating after awhile.
Isaac reminds me a lot of Caillou. He makes dumb ass decisions and then we have to watch him get lectured, when really we just want him to stop being an asshole.
I also found the current time line hard to keep a grasp on. Issac was living some kind of hobo fantasy that I'm not sure exists today and it felt like he was living 100 years in the past but in the present.
While I can tell a lot of time, research and care went into its creation, this book just wasn't for me.
January 25, 2023
Two siblings inherit Thistlefoot, a house that walks on chicken legs, and decide to take it on the road as they resurrect their old puppet show. A mystery man from Thistlefoot’s past trails them, leaving bodies in his wake. That is just a very cursory description of this very dense book. It combines urban fantasy, Jewish history and folklore, magic, sibling conflict and mild romance. Each of the siblings has a particular gift that is sometimes a blessing and sometimes a curse.
I am afraid that there was too much going on in this book for me and the writing was too florid. I couldn’t get past the fact that a house could just prance around contemporary America without anyone even reacting to it. And the house narrated it’s memoir throughout the book, which I suppose was sort of fitting since the book was all about the preservation of memories.
I think that it might help to have some familiarity with Russian Jewish history and folklore. Unfortunately, I had never heard of the Baba Yaga stories, so I found this book pretty confusing. It constantly flipped around from the backstories of the siblings, to their magic, to their current problems with their pursuer, to Baba Yaga stories and to actual historical events. Really, some of this needed to be trimmed down. I did manage to get through this book, but I doubt that I would read another of the author’s books. 3.5 stars
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
I am afraid that there was too much going on in this book for me and the writing was too florid. I couldn’t get past the fact that a house could just prance around contemporary America without anyone even reacting to it. And the house narrated it’s memoir throughout the book, which I suppose was sort of fitting since the book was all about the preservation of memories.
I think that it might help to have some familiarity with Russian Jewish history and folklore. Unfortunately, I had never heard of the Baba Yaga stories, so I found this book pretty confusing. It constantly flipped around from the backstories of the siblings, to their magic, to their current problems with their pursuer, to Baba Yaga stories and to actual historical events. Really, some of this needed to be trimmed down. I did manage to get through this book, but I doubt that I would read another of the author’s books. 3.5 stars
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
December 27, 2022
the premise of exploring generational trauma and historical events through the lens of a folktale retelling had me SOLD but unfortunately i just don’t think thistlefoot delivered
the best chapters of this book are by far those narrated by thistlefoot, whereas the chapters following the main story of the siblings were so meandering and all over the place that i felt no connection to any characters or relationships
climactic scenes in the present-day portions left me feeling absolutely -nothing- when i would have expected tears or shock (and i am an easy crier!!!) pacing was honestly awful for me and i couldn’t care less about the main plot. there were so many side characters introduced, all of whom remain undeveloped, and it was tiring to slog through
most irritating for me was the lack of purposeful world building. the magic system and how it functions in society is barely explained (honestly not explained at all). the two mcs have magic due to their family lineage/cultural history, but also an unrelated side character kind of also has magic-adjacent powers? in this version of the united states, people just see a house walking on chicken legs and have no questions? they watch isaac literally change his entire physical appearance into someone else and it’s just a street performance, but also magic doesn’t seem to be pervasive in this world outside of the two mcs - shouldn’t people be amazed by isaac’s abilities then? shouldn’t a “chameleon king” and a walking house alone be a major money-making attraction even without the puppet show? did i miss something? (genuinely asking! did i miss the explanation(s) as to why people aren’t losing their minds over the existence of magic?)
i’m incredibly disappointed that i didn’t end up loving this as much as i thought i would, but i am definitely going to be searching for other baba yaga stories to fill the void that this novel has left behind
would be 1 star, but 2 stars for the thistlefoot chapters which i genuinely found interesting and which had the emotionally impactful moments the rest of the book was missing - if this story had nixed the side characters, excluded the random flirtationships/romances that went nowhere, and focused in on just the two siblings and the 1919 story in thistlefoot’s chapters, i think it could have been fantastic
(edit: i read in an interview that the 1919 story is based on actual historical events that affected the author’s ancestors, and you can really feel the passion and care in the storytelling of those chapters - it’s a shame it wasn’t the main plot as i found it much better written than the rest ;-;)
the best chapters of this book are by far those narrated by thistlefoot, whereas the chapters following the main story of the siblings were so meandering and all over the place that i felt no connection to any characters or relationships
climactic scenes in the present-day portions left me feeling absolutely -nothing- when i would have expected tears or shock (and i am an easy crier!!!) pacing was honestly awful for me and i couldn’t care less about the main plot. there were so many side characters introduced, all of whom remain undeveloped, and it was tiring to slog through
most irritating for me was the lack of purposeful world building. the magic system and how it functions in society is barely explained (honestly not explained at all). the two mcs have magic due to their family lineage/cultural history, but also an unrelated side character kind of also has magic-adjacent powers? in this version of the united states, people just see a house walking on chicken legs and have no questions? they watch isaac literally change his entire physical appearance into someone else and it’s just a street performance, but also magic doesn’t seem to be pervasive in this world outside of the two mcs - shouldn’t people be amazed by isaac’s abilities then? shouldn’t a “chameleon king” and a walking house alone be a major money-making attraction even without the puppet show? did i miss something? (genuinely asking! did i miss the explanation(s) as to why people aren’t losing their minds over the existence of magic?)
i’m incredibly disappointed that i didn’t end up loving this as much as i thought i would, but i am definitely going to be searching for other baba yaga stories to fill the void that this novel has left behind
would be 1 star, but 2 stars for the thistlefoot chapters which i genuinely found interesting and which had the emotionally impactful moments the rest of the book was missing - if this story had nixed the side characters, excluded the random flirtationships/romances that went nowhere, and focused in on just the two siblings and the 1919 story in thistlefoot’s chapters, i think it could have been fantastic
(edit: i read in an interview that the 1919 story is based on actual historical events that affected the author’s ancestors, and you can really feel the passion and care in the storytelling of those chapters - it’s a shame it wasn’t the main plot as i found it much better written than the rest ;-;)
January 16, 2024
Exceptional. A classic hero's quest arc with absolutely delightful idiosyncracies. Smart, loving, hard and yet joyful, dreamy and yet observant. No notes.
CONTENT WARNING:
CONTENT WARNING:
April 29, 2023
I’m sitting here, just having finished Thistlefoot, and my head is filled with the beauty of this wonderful book. I’m at a loss for words.
Thistlefoot takes the Russian legend of Baba Yaga, and turns that story into one of Jewish origins. Issac and Bellatine Yaga are siblings who inherit the legendary house of Baba Yaga, the house on chicken legs, from their great great grandmother, who kept the house in storage in the Ukraine for seventy years and bequeathed it to the youngest Yagas. The siblings grew up in a household that gave puppet shows, and the pair decides to take the house on a tour and recreate the puppet shows they gave in their childhood. Both Isaac and Bellatine have their issues, and as the book progresses, we learn their backstories, and also that of the house and the puppets. They are also pursued by the Longshadow Man, a mysterious figure who followed the house from Ukraine, and who seems bent on the destruction of Yaga’s house, for reasons unknown.
I reveled in the excellence of the writing. There are moments of sheer beauty in the book that just took my breath away. The plot is solid and well constructed, and the characters are some of the most finely drawn personalities I’ve ever encountered in a novel. They truly came to life. And the ending…let’s just say it blew me away and left me in tears.
Without a doubt, Thistlefoot is one of the best books I’ve read recently.
My gratitude goes out to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, and to Netgalley, for providing me an ARC of this excellent novel.
Addendum: I just finished listening to the audiobook version of Thistlefoot. It’s as wonderful to listen as it was to read, and I was just drawn into the world created by the author. Incredibly narrated by January LaVoy.
Thistlefoot takes the Russian legend of Baba Yaga, and turns that story into one of Jewish origins. Issac and Bellatine Yaga are siblings who inherit the legendary house of Baba Yaga, the house on chicken legs, from their great great grandmother, who kept the house in storage in the Ukraine for seventy years and bequeathed it to the youngest Yagas. The siblings grew up in a household that gave puppet shows, and the pair decides to take the house on a tour and recreate the puppet shows they gave in their childhood. Both Isaac and Bellatine have their issues, and as the book progresses, we learn their backstories, and also that of the house and the puppets. They are also pursued by the Longshadow Man, a mysterious figure who followed the house from Ukraine, and who seems bent on the destruction of Yaga’s house, for reasons unknown.
I reveled in the excellence of the writing. There are moments of sheer beauty in the book that just took my breath away. The plot is solid and well constructed, and the characters are some of the most finely drawn personalities I’ve ever encountered in a novel. They truly came to life. And the ending…let’s just say it blew me away and left me in tears.
Without a doubt, Thistlefoot is one of the best books I’ve read recently.
My gratitude goes out to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, and to Netgalley, for providing me an ARC of this excellent novel.
Addendum: I just finished listening to the audiobook version of Thistlefoot. It’s as wonderful to listen as it was to read, and I was just drawn into the world created by the author. Incredibly narrated by January LaVoy.
September 12, 2025
“You try singing a song from 300 years ago and tell me that’s not time travel.”
STOP THE CAR! AN UNDERRATED READ!!!
This book, with its beats of nostalgia and humor, presents an engaging narrative within the dark confines of its setting … Respectfully, I think I need more people to be reading this.
Weaving a unique magic system with themes on music and folklore, dark and eerie magical realism, stories within stories, multigenerational trauma, and complicated family dynamics is not an easy feat. They sound good in theory but not everyone is able to pull it off in a way that feels rewarding as a reader while still giving justice to it’s individual perspectives... but GennaRose Nethercott did it!!
“What is a house but a container for a life? What is a life but a container for a story? When a container is broken, it does not destroy the contents. It sets them free.”
I find books that claim similar themes can too easily lean toward a more adventurous narrative, losing the heart promised in the beginning of it’s story. That wasn’t the case here. Thistlefoot propels the narrative using mystery and lets the adventure come naturally as you’re living through the plot with the narrators.
The atmosphere reminds me of The Diviners, Middlegame, and Monster House. It houses (hehe) an endearing but complicated sibling dynamic that was so entertaining to experience unfold. In fear or spoiling anyone, I won’t detail my thoughts on individual characters but the whole cast is charming and something you have to experience yourself <3 I loved being in their heads as if I was seeing the world through their eyes.
“We're all acting, all the time. We have different selves for different people, different circumstances. You play one part for me, another part for Mira & Dad, and another altogether when you're alone.”
The siblings were palpable and realistic. I also loved how much it celebrated the peace you find in moments of quiet, by yourself, but also what you can achieve by being in a community that sees who you are and loves you all the more for it.
I feel like i lived a lifetime after finishing. Time passed by not in the sense that it was dragging but more like I was right there with them. The beats of philosophy and introspective notes were not lost on me and was well placed to balance the rest of the darkness.
I didn’t expect the discussion on the destructions of war and the role that stories play into the culture these stories are born in — but I think it might have been the cherry on top to make this book 5 stars for me.
In conclusion, it’s about family, time, and stories. I would recommend this for when you’re looking for a low fantasy with mid-high stakes that reads both like a folklore and old tales that deal with generational trauma. There’s emotional depth written together with strong characterizations and a strong plot.
Think: Bunguo Stray Dogs (an urban setting that feels like it’s injected with old stories & mystery) with Grimm Brothers tale type of eerie. Most especially recommend if you enjoy having a bunch of imperfect characters trying to do their best to protect their family and their homes. The cast is going to stay in my mind for a long time.
“What is a lie if not a story. What power a story has when whispered into the ear of a man with a gun.”
CONTENT WARNINGS: antisemitism; self-harm; torture; genocide; suicide; death; PTSD; cross-generational trauma; infant/child harm
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pre-read
Green Bone Saga and Middlegame has really had me craving stories about siblings
![Profile Image for julia ☆ [owls reads].](https://goodreads.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1636739475i%2F5520447._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
did-not-finish
November 24, 2022DNF @ 10%
The writing is the equivalent of nails on a chalkboard to me. I can't do it. And Isaac's been in two chapters and I want to delete him out of existence entirely.
The writing is the equivalent of nails on a chalkboard to me. I can't do it. And Isaac's been in two chapters and I want to delete him out of existence entirely.
January 4, 2023
This has American Gods(maybe even Ocean at the End of the Lane) and Howl's Moving Castle vibes. The writing is similar to Neil Gaiman's and Erin Morgenstern's. Whimsical, magical book. Thistlefoot has soft-worldbuilding, akin to a Studio Ghibli movie. We get thrust into a magical world, where houses can grow legs or wings, and our main characters, Yaga siblings, have magical abilities. The magic is explained but not in a typical way that some fantasy novels are written. The mechanics of the magic system unravel through the storytelling of Thistlefoot the house. The story is heavily inspired by Russians folklore and history. We learn about Baba Yaga's lifestory, which offers an answer to the most important question: Why did the house grow chicken legs?
Thistlefoot is a story about stories; about the importance of knowing history - bearing witness to the happenings of years old events that left scars. More importantly, it accentuates the remembrance of the lives of people around us. The lives of every single person is worth remembering and retelling. We were here, we mattered.
The slower pacing allows us to carefully follow the siblings' journey to self-acceptance. Their personal growth paralells the strenghtening of their bond. In the beginning, they had been separated for 6 years but were once again brought together by the arrival of Thistlefoot. From then on, they were faced with the challenge of adapting to each others' personalities and living in dynamic harmony.
Overall, I enjoyed my time spent with Isaac and Bellatine Yaga. With every new chapter of the book I became more invested in the story. It is a low stakes type of book but the focus should be more on the message the book is sending. I am happy that this year's reading journey started strongly.
Thistlefoot is a story about stories; about the importance of knowing history - bearing witness to the happenings of years old events that left scars. More importantly, it accentuates the remembrance of the lives of people around us. The lives of every single person is worth remembering and retelling. We were here, we mattered.
The slower pacing allows us to carefully follow the siblings' journey to self-acceptance. Their personal growth paralells the strenghtening of their bond. In the beginning, they had been separated for 6 years but were once again brought together by the arrival of Thistlefoot. From then on, they were faced with the challenge of adapting to each others' personalities and living in dynamic harmony.
Overall, I enjoyed my time spent with Isaac and Bellatine Yaga. With every new chapter of the book I became more invested in the story. It is a low stakes type of book but the focus should be more on the message the book is sending. I am happy that this year's reading journey started strongly.
March 31, 2023
Kill the lantern.
Raise the ghost.
4.75/5 Rounded up because holy smokes, Nerthercott’s voice absolutely astounds.
And bookish friends said this was good, but my goodness- this feels like another level of creativity- it’s smartly woven, cleverly written and brings light that our bookish souls may need in darker times. >>>Turns on news<<< Yep. It does feel like a darker time.
I found this deployment delightful to imagine and trust me, I never thought I would feel this way about anything that falls partially under the horror category.
I would tell you more, but I think it’s one of those books where it’s best to not overthink the pitch & just jump in (to this semi-recognizable world). Bring the peanut M&M’s with you.
Filed Under// New authors to watch, reread worthy
Raise the ghost.
4.75/5 Rounded up because holy smokes, Nerthercott’s voice absolutely astounds.
And bookish friends said this was good, but my goodness- this feels like another level of creativity- it’s smartly woven, cleverly written and brings light that our bookish souls may need in darker times. >>>Turns on news<<< Yep. It does feel like a darker time.
I found this deployment delightful to imagine and trust me, I never thought I would feel this way about anything that falls partially under the horror category.
I would tell you more, but I think it’s one of those books where it’s best to not overthink the pitch & just jump in (to this semi-recognizable world). Bring the peanut M&M’s with you.
Filed Under// New authors to watch, reread worthy
December 23, 2024
What an impressive story about jewish history, Baba Yaga and her house on chicken legs (which tells its own story btw), two magical but broken siblings and the importance of memory. Although I had a rough start reading this book, because it was totally different from what I expected, it turned out to be one of my favourite reads of the year. I love it!
November 17, 2024
11/16/2024 - Reread with my book club, and how is it even possible to fall DEEPER in love with this story? It is part of my internal patchwork I fear.
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Thistlefoot is a story about generational trauma. But - perhaps more importantly - it’s also about the power of storytelling as memory, disruption, and defiance. It’s about the duty of the audience to bear witness. And it’s about the optimism of seeing the world … as it could be.
We follow the estranged Yaga siblings, Bellatine and Isaac. Bellatine is a woodworker struggling to distance herself from a strange power which allows her to bring objects to life. Isaac is a street performer & con artist with a fantastical mimicry skill: he can shift and adapt and truly become another person.
The two are brought together after receiving a mysterious call to pick up an inheritance from a Yaga ancestor: Thistlefoot, a sentient house that walks on chicken legs (and was once inhabited by THE Baba Yaga). But as the siblings use the home to take their family puppet show on the road, they soon discover they’re being chased by the Longshadow Man, an entity with powerful magic and a connection to Thistlefoot’s curious, dark history.
Each POV in Thistlefoot has its own charm. Isaac is cynical, distrustful of bonds and living through manipulation. Bellatine is level-headed and cautious, but lives in constant fear of giving objects life (ironically, her terror around imbuing objects with power … gives them power all the same). And finally, we have Thistlefoot, the cheeky, arrogant, very-Yiddish-sounding voice of the home who stores great depths of knowledge and tells us readers stories as it pleases.
Nethercott has a delightful way of writing for & to the readers. We are chastised and led astray and punched in the gut – but her lyricality and ease of storytelling is absolutely captivating. This was a hard book to put down.
“Trust. It is a meaningless word, precious only to kibitzers who think all business is their business. I reserve the right to lie to you outright and often – and we must always make use of our rights, lest they vanish from neglect.”
A running narrative throughout the book is the constantly shifting tale of the “real” Baba Yaga. Thistlefoot shares story after story before - in one of the final chapters - landing on what is perhaps the “un-storied” truth. But we learn that lying can be the most powerful form of truth-telling, and folktales can shift to adapt to the audience, the moment, and the lesson. If you’ve heard anything about Baba Yaga, it likely contradicts what another person would say. Baba Yaga is the character she needs to be within the story that she has dropped into. And this is how folktales and retellings work: they are transformative and unpredictable.
In Thistlefoot, the characters are resilient . They reclaim their voice through storytelling in response to their ancestral trauma and the hauntings that follow them in modern day. By weaving truth with lies and fantasy, they cement their stories in modern memory. They are honored. They are not forgotten.
Violence and war are cyclical and pervasive. As he chases the siblings and Thistlefoot, Longshadow Man manipulates seemingly ordinary people. Everyone is suggestible; everyone is naive. You can be charmed into optimism or tricked into cruelty (with the knife of fear at your back, pointing to anyone who you perceive as an Other).
As Nethercott writes (through the reflections of Isaac), only some people are remembered in America. Others are turned to dust. These stories are a way to mourn them, to bring them back to life, and to defy erasure.
I think Bellatine’s power of Embering (a fiery warmth she feels as she animates) is also an act of defiance. Trauma lives on in the body; it doesn’t feel safe. Her body has a desperate need for life to continue, to pass on her bloodline, though she doesn’t always consciously understand that.
There is so much more to unpack here, but I’m not going to write an essay - I’d rather you read and experience Thistlefoot for yourself. By saving the stories, we save the people and we save the culture. Bear witness to these stories. Pick up the book yourself.
CW: death & child death, genocide, antisemitism, eugenics, racism, animal death, violence & gun violence, xenophobia, self harm, adult/minor relationship, suicidal thoughts, vomit, drugging
(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
---
Thistlefoot is a story about generational trauma. But - perhaps more importantly - it’s also about the power of storytelling as memory, disruption, and defiance. It’s about the duty of the audience to bear witness. And it’s about the optimism of seeing the world … as it could be.
We follow the estranged Yaga siblings, Bellatine and Isaac. Bellatine is a woodworker struggling to distance herself from a strange power which allows her to bring objects to life. Isaac is a street performer & con artist with a fantastical mimicry skill: he can shift and adapt and truly become another person.
The two are brought together after receiving a mysterious call to pick up an inheritance from a Yaga ancestor: Thistlefoot, a sentient house that walks on chicken legs (and was once inhabited by THE Baba Yaga). But as the siblings use the home to take their family puppet show on the road, they soon discover they’re being chased by the Longshadow Man, an entity with powerful magic and a connection to Thistlefoot’s curious, dark history.
Each POV in Thistlefoot has its own charm. Isaac is cynical, distrustful of bonds and living through manipulation. Bellatine is level-headed and cautious, but lives in constant fear of giving objects life (ironically, her terror around imbuing objects with power … gives them power all the same). And finally, we have Thistlefoot, the cheeky, arrogant, very-Yiddish-sounding voice of the home who stores great depths of knowledge and tells us readers stories as it pleases.
Nethercott has a delightful way of writing for & to the readers. We are chastised and led astray and punched in the gut – but her lyricality and ease of storytelling is absolutely captivating. This was a hard book to put down.
“Trust. It is a meaningless word, precious only to kibitzers who think all business is their business. I reserve the right to lie to you outright and often – and we must always make use of our rights, lest they vanish from neglect.”
A running narrative throughout the book is the constantly shifting tale of the “real” Baba Yaga. Thistlefoot shares story after story before - in one of the final chapters - landing on what is perhaps the “un-storied” truth. But we learn that lying can be the most powerful form of truth-telling, and folktales can shift to adapt to the audience, the moment, and the lesson. If you’ve heard anything about Baba Yaga, it likely contradicts what another person would say. Baba Yaga is the character she needs to be within the story that she has dropped into. And this is how folktales and retellings work: they are transformative and unpredictable.
In Thistlefoot, the characters are resilient . They reclaim their voice through storytelling in response to their ancestral trauma and the hauntings that follow them in modern day. By weaving truth with lies and fantasy, they cement their stories in modern memory. They are honored. They are not forgotten.
Violence and war are cyclical and pervasive. As he chases the siblings and Thistlefoot, Longshadow Man manipulates seemingly ordinary people. Everyone is suggestible; everyone is naive. You can be charmed into optimism or tricked into cruelty (with the knife of fear at your back, pointing to anyone who you perceive as an Other).
As Nethercott writes (through the reflections of Isaac), only some people are remembered in America. Others are turned to dust. These stories are a way to mourn them, to bring them back to life, and to defy erasure.
I think Bellatine’s power of Embering (a fiery warmth she feels as she animates) is also an act of defiance. Trauma lives on in the body; it doesn’t feel safe. Her body has a desperate need for life to continue, to pass on her bloodline, though she doesn’t always consciously understand that.
There is so much more to unpack here, but I’m not going to write an essay - I’d rather you read and experience Thistlefoot for yourself. By saving the stories, we save the people and we save the culture. Bear witness to these stories. Pick up the book yourself.
CW: death & child death, genocide, antisemitism, eugenics, racism, animal death, violence & gun violence, xenophobia, self harm, adult/minor relationship, suicidal thoughts, vomit, drugging
(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
November 3, 2022
"THISTLEFOOT" by GennaRose Nethercott
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.Anchor
Nethercott brings the most outstanding Russian tale, filled with Jewish folklore, to ever grace the pages.
Her book is brimming with such a fantastic tale that it is hard to describe.
This story tells of estranged siblings Isaac and Bellatine Yaga.
Isaac is the wandering sort, always running from something, looking for his next way to con someone to make money.
Isaac has now become an actor of sorts, but still, he is a con artist when it comes to making money.
Bellatine is more of a homebody; she wants to hide her gift, as she has been taught to do.
Bellatine does not want anyone to know that she can make animated objects come to life. So, she delves into carpentry, where she can keep her hands busy.
When one-day, Bellatine receives a call from a lawyer telling her that she and Isaac have come into an inheritance, and it will be at the pier in a large shipping container.
Bellatine contacts Isaac with no honest thoughts of him showing, but to her surprise, he does.
The pair opens the container and find a house with spindly, chicken-feathered legs inside the box.
Once they have inherited the house, Isaac produces the idea.
Take their professional puppeteering family business on the road.
But Bellatine is not so easy to convince because of her gift.
So finally, she tells him that she will not touch a puppet; she wants to only work on the rigging aspect of the performance, which he agrees to because all he sees are dollar signs.
So, the agreement is set.
Issac and Bellatine will take Thistlefoot (which Bellatine has named the house) on the road for one year exactly.
Bellatine is quite content within the walls of Thistlefoot, in here, she finds solitude and realizes that Thistlefoot only responds to Yiddish commands.
Hmm!
But Thistlefoot comes with a past of its own, for an ominous figure has also come from Russia.
The Longshadow man is a mysterious figure who is incredibly determined to bring down Baba Yaga's house, leaving destruction wherever it passes.
The story is given from different points of view, including the point of view of Thistlefoot.
It jumps from past to present with Baba Yaga and her children to the present with the two siblings and the journey they encounter.
Nethercott presents such an outstandingly imaginative world. Thistlefoot is so impressively descriptive; it is like you are there for the unboxing of the house.
Nethercott's word-building is stellar and astonishingly seamless.
You will absolutely fall in love with the characters introduced in the story.
Each one will capture your heart in one way or another.
The author takes you through an emotional rollercoaster filled with grief, generational pain, and antisemitism, along with Jewish folklore and Jewish/Russian History.
Overall, this is a "MUST" read!
This book is so beautifully written that you will want to reread this book over and over again.
6 stars to Nethercott and Thistlefoot!
Thought Provoking and Astonishingly Depicted
Job Perfectly Perfected!
NETHERCOTT IS ONE OF THE TOP 1O DEBUT AUTHORS FOR SURE!!!
KUDOS!!
Thank you, NetGalley/GennaRose Nethercott/Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.Anchor for this amazing eARC for my honest review. My opinions are of my own volition.
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.Anchor
Nethercott brings the most outstanding Russian tale, filled with Jewish folklore, to ever grace the pages.
Her book is brimming with such a fantastic tale that it is hard to describe.
This story tells of estranged siblings Isaac and Bellatine Yaga.
Isaac is the wandering sort, always running from something, looking for his next way to con someone to make money.
Isaac has now become an actor of sorts, but still, he is a con artist when it comes to making money.
Bellatine is more of a homebody; she wants to hide her gift, as she has been taught to do.
Bellatine does not want anyone to know that she can make animated objects come to life. So, she delves into carpentry, where she can keep her hands busy.
When one-day, Bellatine receives a call from a lawyer telling her that she and Isaac have come into an inheritance, and it will be at the pier in a large shipping container.
Bellatine contacts Isaac with no honest thoughts of him showing, but to her surprise, he does.
The pair opens the container and find a house with spindly, chicken-feathered legs inside the box.
Once they have inherited the house, Isaac produces the idea.
Take their professional puppeteering family business on the road.
But Bellatine is not so easy to convince because of her gift.
So finally, she tells him that she will not touch a puppet; she wants to only work on the rigging aspect of the performance, which he agrees to because all he sees are dollar signs.
So, the agreement is set.
Issac and Bellatine will take Thistlefoot (which Bellatine has named the house) on the road for one year exactly.
Bellatine is quite content within the walls of Thistlefoot, in here, she finds solitude and realizes that Thistlefoot only responds to Yiddish commands.
Hmm!
But Thistlefoot comes with a past of its own, for an ominous figure has also come from Russia.
The Longshadow man is a mysterious figure who is incredibly determined to bring down Baba Yaga's house, leaving destruction wherever it passes.
The story is given from different points of view, including the point of view of Thistlefoot.
It jumps from past to present with Baba Yaga and her children to the present with the two siblings and the journey they encounter.
Nethercott presents such an outstandingly imaginative world. Thistlefoot is so impressively descriptive; it is like you are there for the unboxing of the house.
Nethercott's word-building is stellar and astonishingly seamless.
You will absolutely fall in love with the characters introduced in the story.
Each one will capture your heart in one way or another.
The author takes you through an emotional rollercoaster filled with grief, generational pain, and antisemitism, along with Jewish folklore and Jewish/Russian History.
Overall, this is a "MUST" read!
This book is so beautifully written that you will want to reread this book over and over again.
6 stars to Nethercott and Thistlefoot!
Thought Provoking and Astonishingly Depicted
Job Perfectly Perfected!
NETHERCOTT IS ONE OF THE TOP 1O DEBUT AUTHORS FOR SURE!!!
KUDOS!!
Thank you, NetGalley/GennaRose Nethercott/Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.Anchor for this amazing eARC for my honest review. My opinions are of my own volition.
June 11, 2023
Questo non è il tipo di storia che ha un inizio, una parte di mezzo e una conclusione, è dolore puro.
Venite. Sedetevi al mio focolare, che brucia, brucia, e non smette mai di bruciare. Ascoltate il vento, che mi abita come una volta faceva una famiglia. Siate testimoni.
Se pensate che questo sia una specie di libro fiabesco e avete già letto anche troppe versioni della storia di Baba Yaga (la strega con la casetta al limitare del bosco, a volte perfida, a volte semplicemente scontrosa), vi dico subito che Cardospina è molto, molto di più.
Questa è una storia d'amore e di tenebra, sull'amicizia e sul senso di famiglia e di casa, sulle fughe, sui rimorsi, sulla salvezza e sul perdono, sulla fede e sulla memoria, e su talmente tanti concetti universali, che parte da un'eredità tramandata e non voluta, ma parla a tutti noi.
Due fratelli, Isaac e Bellatine, figli di genitori marionettisti, cresciuti in viaggio e, all'apparenza, senza radici.
Ciascuno, toccato da maledizioni nascoste, ha cercato la propria strada lontano, finché un giorno arriva dall'Europa il lascito di un'antenata sconosciuta; l'eredità li ha cercati lunghi i rami sopravvissuti delle famiglia, attraversando l'oceano, e recando loro una vera casa mobile: soltanto che, al posto delle ruote, ci sono due robuste zampe di gallina.
La casa ha una sua memoria, la casa ricorda, conserva foto ingiallite e pagine annotate in yiddish.
E se il dono rappresenta una svolta, un luogo da dove ripartire per un buffo spettacolo di marionette, è anche uno spazio neutrale dove i due fratelli possono riscoprirsi, e infine un bersaglio, perchè pareti e tetto hanno "visto" un orrore lontano, e un antico nemico, l’Uomo dall’ombra lunga, deve ancora compiere la propria missione di morte.
C’è un momento per il dolore e c’è un momento per la collera. Ma entrambi nascono dal lutto. Il dolore dura a lungo. Può diventare un compagno fedele, se glielo si permette. Un gatto randagio che si rifiuta di lasciare il nostro fianco. Ci sarà tempo per il dolore, perché il dolore, come i gatti, ha molte vite. La collera è di breve durata. Scuote il corpo come un incendio, potente e devastante. E questo–questo–è il momento della collera.
Non riuscivo a staccarmi dalla lettura, dalle sorprese e da questo stile vivido, ricco, malinconico, avventuroso e commovente.
Perchè la vita di Isaac e Bellatine ha un debito verso il passato, è il frutto della tenacia di chi è sopravvissuto, dalla Russia all'America, dai pogrom e dai massacri sino alla modernità, da una donna che viveva vicino al bosco con le sue figlie a un altro secolo, ma sempre con lo stesso spirito di speranza e lotta.
Un gioiello assoluto, per la storia, il messaggio, e l’intreccio dei dettagli. Non c’è una pagina che non sia annotata o con un segno per ricordare, e sarei pronta a ricominciare a leggerlo.
Se siete indecisi tra questo e un altro libro, scegliete questo.
Come si porta un popolo alla rovina? Con il fuoco? Con i proiettili? Si può trascinare un uomo per le strade legato a un cavallo. Si può ridurre in cenere un villaggio. Si possono allineare intere famiglie contro una parete di mattoni e abbatterle, una persona alla volta, come alberi in una foresta. Ma basta un unico sopravvissuto e la storia continua a vivere. Un sopravvissuto che porti con sé le poesie e le canzoni, le preghiere, i lamenti. Non si distrugge un popolo privando le persone della vita. Lo si distrugge privandolo della sua storia.
Venite. Sedetevi al mio focolare, che brucia, brucia, e non smette mai di bruciare. Ascoltate il vento, che mi abita come una volta faceva una famiglia. Siate testimoni.
Se pensate che questo sia una specie di libro fiabesco e avete già letto anche troppe versioni della storia di Baba Yaga (la strega con la casetta al limitare del bosco, a volte perfida, a volte semplicemente scontrosa), vi dico subito che Cardospina è molto, molto di più.
Questa è una storia d'amore e di tenebra, sull'amicizia e sul senso di famiglia e di casa, sulle fughe, sui rimorsi, sulla salvezza e sul perdono, sulla fede e sulla memoria, e su talmente tanti concetti universali, che parte da un'eredità tramandata e non voluta, ma parla a tutti noi.
Due fratelli, Isaac e Bellatine, figli di genitori marionettisti, cresciuti in viaggio e, all'apparenza, senza radici.
Ciascuno, toccato da maledizioni nascoste, ha cercato la propria strada lontano, finché un giorno arriva dall'Europa il lascito di un'antenata sconosciuta; l'eredità li ha cercati lunghi i rami sopravvissuti delle famiglia, attraversando l'oceano, e recando loro una vera casa mobile: soltanto che, al posto delle ruote, ci sono due robuste zampe di gallina.
La casa ha una sua memoria, la casa ricorda, conserva foto ingiallite e pagine annotate in yiddish.
E se il dono rappresenta una svolta, un luogo da dove ripartire per un buffo spettacolo di marionette, è anche uno spazio neutrale dove i due fratelli possono riscoprirsi, e infine un bersaglio, perchè pareti e tetto hanno "visto" un orrore lontano, e un antico nemico, l’Uomo dall’ombra lunga, deve ancora compiere la propria missione di morte.
C’è un momento per il dolore e c’è un momento per la collera. Ma entrambi nascono dal lutto. Il dolore dura a lungo. Può diventare un compagno fedele, se glielo si permette. Un gatto randagio che si rifiuta di lasciare il nostro fianco. Ci sarà tempo per il dolore, perché il dolore, come i gatti, ha molte vite. La collera è di breve durata. Scuote il corpo come un incendio, potente e devastante. E questo–questo–è il momento della collera.
Non riuscivo a staccarmi dalla lettura, dalle sorprese e da questo stile vivido, ricco, malinconico, avventuroso e commovente.
Perchè la vita di Isaac e Bellatine ha un debito verso il passato, è il frutto della tenacia di chi è sopravvissuto, dalla Russia all'America, dai pogrom e dai massacri sino alla modernità, da una donna che viveva vicino al bosco con le sue figlie a un altro secolo, ma sempre con lo stesso spirito di speranza e lotta.
Un gioiello assoluto, per la storia, il messaggio, e l’intreccio dei dettagli. Non c’è una pagina che non sia annotata o con un segno per ricordare, e sarei pronta a ricominciare a leggerlo.
Se siete indecisi tra questo e un altro libro, scegliete questo.
Come si porta un popolo alla rovina? Con il fuoco? Con i proiettili? Si può trascinare un uomo per le strade legato a un cavallo. Si può ridurre in cenere un villaggio. Si possono allineare intere famiglie contro una parete di mattoni e abbatterle, una persona alla volta, come alberi in una foresta. Ma basta un unico sopravvissuto e la storia continua a vivere. Un sopravvissuto che porti con sé le poesie e le canzoni, le preghiere, i lamenti. Non si distrugge un popolo privando le persone della vita. Lo si distrugge privandolo della sua storia.
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