________________ CM . . . . Volume V Number 12 . . . . February 12, 1999

cover The Serpent Bride: Stories from Medieval Danish Ballads.

K. V. Johansen.
Saskatoon, SK: Thistledown Press, 1998.
187 pp., pbk, $14.95.
ISBN 1-55143-134-3.ISBN 1-895449-82-0.

Grades 8 and up / Ages 13 and up.
Review by Joanne Peters.

*** /4

excerpt:

Ellensborg slammed open the door of the loft and shouted, "Hallgerd!"
"I'm right behind you."
"Oh. Well then. Get my scissors!"
"Why?" Hallgerd asked, but one of the other maids brought them. Ellensborg seized the unsuspecting woman by the hair. Two sawing bites and Gerda's coppery braids were limp in Ellensborg's hand.
"Do mine," Ellensborg commanded, thrusting the scissors at Hallgerd.
"Are you certain? ..." Hallgerd began to say.
"Do it!"
Hallgerd cut the silver-blonde braids, while Gerda, whose hair lay discarded on the floor, ran her hands through the ragged, scarecrow cap she had left, teetering between tears and hysterical laughter.
It's not the first time a woman has changed her hairstyle in order to get the man she wants, but this scene takes place in medieval Denmark. Long hair is standard issue, unless, of course, you're crewing for Ellensborg, who, with a group of six other bold ladies, sets sail eastward to win her fiance. "Bold Ellensborg" is one of ten stories comprising The Serpent Bride, a collection of old Danish ballads retold. Some stories are tales of dark magic: humans are transformed into birds, animals, or monsters; witches or trolls exact painful promises. But, in others, there are happy endings with re-united lovers and weddings in the future. And in all of the stories, the female characters are strong and courageous. These women are not faint-hearted damsels waiting to be rescued, spending their days praying and embroidering. In The Serpent Bride, they bargain with trolls and sail the high seas! A most appealing collection, recommended for older readers from middle school and up.

Highly recommended

Joanne Peters is the teacher-librarian at Kelvin High School in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - FEBRUARY 12, 1999.

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