Tatsinda

When I was a girl I loved checking this book out at our library, both for the beautiful illustrations and for Tatsinda herself. Of course Tatsinda would have had no difficulty having her beauty appreciated in the USA. It could have been her personal tragedy that she has brown eyes and golden hair in a land where everyone else has blue eyes and white hair, so she's considered disfigured. Tatsinda does not allow the rude opinion of those around her to sour her personality. The strength and courage of this extraordinary young woman are proved in a daring adventure. In the end, she is instrumental in changing her community's narrow point of view. Besides the heroine, I love the wise woman who knew Tatsinda's true worth before anyone else show more did. I also liked the woman's attitude toward people who wanted to consult her. I don't have the book with me at the moment, so I hope I'm quoting her correctly: "Waste not my time, waste not your own. Ask only that which MUST be known." My review's title comes from the fact that this wonderful book was out of print for many years. Back when I was in library school ['76-'77] and had no car, another student from my dormitory was nice enough to give several of us a lift to a local used bookstore. There I spotted a copy of TATSINDA. I bought it even though the driver saw it and exclaimed that she loved that book. I felt horrible because she would have been able to buy it for herself if she hadn't done me a kindness, but my better nature did not prevail. I never saw her again after graduation, so I couldn't even mail her another used copy I found. I'm so glad the book is in print again, not just for all the readers who now have a chance to be as enchanted as I was, but because that nice lady can get her own copy. show less

In the isolated mountain kingdom of Tatrajan, cut off from the rest of the world by a seemingly impenetrable mist, the people lived in peace and harmony, wanting for nothing. With their glittering white hair and cool greenish blue eyes, all the Tatrajanni were similar in appearance - all, that is, except Tatsinda, whose deep golden hair and brown eyes bespoke her "foreign" birth. Deeply in love with handsome, bold Prince Tackatan, Tatsinda worried that the kingdom's most popular prince would never look at such an unusual girl... But then the terrible giant Johrgong invaded the kingdom, and carried Tatsinda off...

Originally published in 1963, and illustrated by Irene Haas, Tatsinda was reissued in this edition in 1991, with new show more illustrations by Katie Thamer Treherne. A wonderful, involving fantasy for the chapter-book set, Enright's story of a magical kingdom, a beautiful heroine, and an evil giant, will appeal to any young reader with a sense of enchantment. The author's world-building is admirable, and I imagine that, had I read this as a girl, I would have longed to ride a timtik, or drink the milk of a tiptod. show less

Re-reading the book as an adult, sadly, I found Tatsinda to be a bit thin, but as a seven-year-old, the awe I felt at the magical land beyond the ice at the world's end was deep and lasting. I rediscovered it only a few years ago, after longing for it for most of my life, and just seeing the cover still causes me to gasp with joy.