Maid of the Wood

Maid of the Wood was one of my four children's (three boys and a girl) favorite books when they were in the early years of elementary school. The haunting colors of the pictures, the simple but provocative text, and the empowering ending give this story the archtypal resonance of a folk-tale, whether or not it is an original story. I now give the book (I collect out-of-print editions throughout the year) to my senior advisees when they graduate from our small liberal-arts college. Maid of the Wood is a simple but wonderful story which appeals to young people of all ages exploring freedom and autonomy, if not to professional librarians.