The Crow-Girl: The Children of Crow Cove (edition 2006)

Simply lovely fable-type story of a young girl who makes her way alone in the world, through perils and trials, gaining wisdom and love along the way. It can be read as a parable about love and family, and how one must make choices for the good of the group sometimes...

As Darsa said, it undoubtedly loses something in the translation, but the simplicity of the prose resonates with the straightforward loveliness of the message. It's the kind of book that leaves one smiling, warm and hopeful. It's got a happy ending that one can believe. ( )

Originally published in Denmark in 1993, as Krageungen, this delightful little children's novel, with its deceptively simple narrative, and almost serene tone (even when describing some terribly traumatic events), quietly works its way into the reader's heart, so that, by the end, she is fully invested in Crow-Girl's story, and deeply satisfied by its conclusion. The tale of a nameless young girl, and her journey out into the world, after the death of her beloved grandmother, The Crow-Girl is a story about honoring the teachings of our elders - in the form of the grandmother's three life "rules" - of following our instincts, our hearts, and our spirit-guides - in the guise of the two crows who shepherd the girl on her journey - and finally, about creating a family and a home for ourselves, in a world that is often hostile.

Bodil Bredsdorff's prose in spare but evocative, painting a convincing portrait of Crow-Girl's world - the isolated cove in which she and her grandmother lived, the small hamlet in which she briefly finds work, before fleeing from her greedy "benefactors," the little farm where she, Doup, Eidi and Foula find refuge. I appreciated the fact that the author did not draw back from depicting some very painful realities, from the horrifying scene in which Crow-Girl must bury her own grandmother, to the terrifying moment when she is confronted by the half-mad father of Doup, the young boy she "takes in" during the course of her wanderings. The presence of loss and terror in the story - something some adults would misguidedly prefer to see omitted from children's fare - makes the moments of joy all the more intense, and the conclusion all the more satisfying.

I also really appreciated the point, made in one of the grandmother's rules, that the good and the bad are mixed in most people, and that "virtue" - whatever that is - is not always the best way of determining who is suited to be our companions, in the life journey. This felt very un-American to me - I mean that in a complimentary way - and even though I, personally, was raised always to consider the ethical (and would not choose to be any other way), I found it a fascinating commentary on how our world-views are shaped, and how we judge others. I know I've said it before, a few times in this review, but this was just such a satisfying book, brief but deeply moving, philosophical without being pretentious. Highly, highly recommended to all, but especially to young readers who are seeking... ( )

This is an author who knows how to write! The images painted are poetic. As an old grandmother is dying she imparts wisdom to the grand daughter she loves. Living together on a rugged cove near the sea, when her grandmother dies, the young girl must bury her and seek others who can help her.

Remembering her grandmother's words regarding two kinds of people," those that make you feel good inside, and then those who cause you to freeze inside, even if you are sitting before a roaring fire and have eaten your fill. Those you should keep away from. They are not good for you, even though others might say that they are good people!"

As she journeys away from the love and life she knew, The Crow-Girl (named because in her travel two crows guide her to safety) meets those who heal and those who harm.

In 155 short pages, the author held my interest with her lyrical, beautiful writing style. ( )

The Crow girl began as a loving relationship between a young girl and her grandmother. The grandmother has a home next to the ocean, where the grandmother and young girl survive off of fish and snails. The grandmother gives advice and the young lady, as she takes care of her grandmother. One day the grandmother falls to sleep and never wakes up. She has been preparing the young lady for this moment. The girl takes her grandmother to where her grandfather is buried and buries her grandmother with rocks there. After burying her grandmother she starts traveling. She walks up on a small community where a woman offers her a job. The woman mentions that she looks like a crow, and the girl decides to call herself crow girl. Crow girl begins to work as a servant cleaning, gathering wook, and cooking for the lady of the house and her husband. One night she discovers her employers discussing her home and how they should adopt the Crow girl so that they could gain her inheritance, which is her grandmother’s house. Crow girl sneaks out later that night and takes food for her trip leaving them a silver coin for the food she takes. On her travels home she meets up with Doup who is a very young boy who is not able to speak. Disoriented with sadness Doup’s father asks Crow Girl to take Doup with her, giving her a small horse for Doup. On her journey home with the little boy she meets two women along the way. She offers them her food and begins to travel with them. She explains her situation to them and offers them her home. They are delighted and continue to travel with Crow girl to her home. On there way home they are afraid of how they will survive as they don’t have much food. A woodsman discover the pack of people and notices that one of them is injured. Roussan is the man’s name offers his home to the people and small boy. Roussan makes a deal with the friends. He offers them a sheep in trade of their services. He assigns various jobs to the friends and they fulfill their duties. After a period of time Roussan discovers that there duties are fulfilled and it is time for them to go. As the friends arrive at Crow Girl’s place she discovers that she has been robbed! Her friends encourage her to start over and they all work on the house. Doup’s father walks up on the friends one day and want to take his son back. Crow girl is heart broken. Frid, Doup’s father shares that he indebted to Crow Girl and ask her to ask him for anything. Crow Girl ask Frid and his other son to stay with them. He agrees and they continue to build their community. The couple that Crow Girl worked for shows up and Frid, as well as Foula the elder woman that is living with Crow Girl defend her. The couple pay Crow Girl for what they took. The friends continue their new lives at Crow Girl’s. Doup comes up with a new name as he has become attached to her and her new name is Myna. They then decide to call the place where their new community Crow Cove. ( )

I liked this book alot.I like the way Menya found people to live with her,and her love for a little boy ( )