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Inspired by C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, this wild and wondrous novel is a fairy tale for grown-ups who still knock on the back of wardrobes—just in case—from the author of The Wishing Game. “This is the book you’ve been waiting for.”—Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Empire Falls and the North Bath Trilogy As boys, best friends Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell went missing in a vast West Virginia state forest, only to mysteriously reappear six months later with no explanation for where they’d gone or how they’d survived. Fifteen years after their miraculous homecoming, Rafe is a reclusive artist who still bears scars inside and out but has no memory of what happened during those months. Meanwhile, Jeremy has become a famed missing persons’ investigator. With his uncanny abilities, he is the one person who can help vet tech Emilie Wendell find her sister, who vanished in the very same forest as Rafe and Jeremy. Jeremy alone knows the fantastical truth about the disappearances, for while the rest of the world was searching for them, the two missing boys were in a magical realm filled with impossible beauty and terrible danger. He believes it is there that they will find Emilie’s sister. However, Jeremy has kept Rafe in the dark since their return for his own inscrutable reasons. But the time for burying secrets comes to an end as the quest for Emilie’s sister begins. The former lost boys must confront their shared past, no matter how traumatic the memories. Alongside the headstrong Emilie, Rafe and Jeremy must return to the enchanted world they called home for six months—for only then can they get back everything and everyone they’ve lost. * This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF that contains a map and recipes from the book.
Inspired by C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, this wild and wondrous novel is a fairy tale for grown-ups who still knock on the back of wardrobes—just in case—from the author of The Wishing Game. “This is the book you’ve been waiting for.”—Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Empire Falls and the North Bath Trilogy As boys, best friends Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell went missing in a vast West Virginia state forest, only to mysteriously reappear six months later with no explanation for where they’d gone or how they’d survived. Fifteen years after their miraculous homecoming, Rafe is a reclusive artist who still bears scars inside and out but has no memory of what happened during those months. Meanwhile, Jeremy has become a famed missing persons’ investigator. With his uncanny abilities, he is the one person who can help vet tech Emilie Wendell find her sister, who vanished in the very same forest as Rafe and Jeremy. Jeremy alone knows the fantastical truth about the disappearances, for while the rest of the world was searching for them, the two missing boys were in a magical realm filled with impossible beauty and terrible danger. He believes it is there that they will find Emilie’s sister. However, Jeremy has kept Rafe in the dark since their return for his own inscrutable reasons. But the time for burying secrets comes to an end as the quest for Emilie’s sister begins. The former lost boys must confront their shared past, no matter how traumatic the memories. Alongside the headstrong Emilie, Rafe and Jeremy must return to the enchanted world they called home for six months—for only then can they get back everything and everyone they’ve lost. * This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF that contains a map and recipes from the book.
Due to publisher restrictions the library cannot purchase additional copies of this title, and we apologize if there is a long waiting list. Be sure to check for other copies, because there may be other editions available.
Due to publisher restrictions the library cannot purchase additional copies of this title, and we apologize if there is a long waiting list. Be sure to check for other copies, because there may be other editions available.
Excerpts-
From the coverChapter One
Our Story Now Begins The drive from Emilie Wendell’s house in Milton, Ohio, to Bernheim Forest outside Louisville took a good two and a half hours. She’d wanted to make it in two hours and fifteen minutes, but accident traffic caused a bottleneck on I-65 south. She prayed the taping would be delayed. These things never started on time, right?
For weeks, she’d been internet-stalking Jeremy Cox, hoping and praying he’d somehow end up near her house. Then finally, that morning, she’d woken up to a Google alert in her email. A documentary TV show called Whereabouts Unknown would be doing a taping at Bernheim that day—special guest, the famed missing persons investigator Jeremy Cox. She’d thrown on yesterday’s clothes—red leggings, a T-shirt, and a hoodie, stuffed her feet into her boots, and ran out of the house.
Two and a half hours of frantic driving was a small price to pay for the chance to meet with Jeremy Cox in person. As soon as she arrived, she parked, grabbed her backpack, and then jogged down the path to the visitor’s center.
The day was October 10, and the weather was cloudy and cold. Cold for Kentucky, anyway. Even so, she was sweating by the time she reached the outdoor stage. She found two park employees putting chairs back into stacks. A flyer printed on neon orange paper advertised Jeremy Cox’s safety talk. It seemed to be over already.
“Did I miss the show?” she asked the employee, embarrassed by her breathless voice. “I’m supposed to meet with Jeremy Cox,” she added, so it wouldn’t sound like she was some creepy fangirl but someone who had an appointment.
An older woman pointed down a trail. “The talk’s over, but they’re doing the taping near the pond by Little Nis.”
“Right, Little Nis.” Emilie thanked the woman and ran down the trail.
She found the pond and walked around the bend until she spotted the first of the Forest Giants. She’d read about the famous art installation but wasn’t prepared for the sheer size of them. Twenty feet tall or more. Impressive in photos but jaw-dropping in person. There were three of them, she knew, a family of enormous trolls. This was Little Nis, the son. Somewhere in the park was his pregnant mother troll and his sister.
Emilie and her mom had planned to see them, but they’d never made the time. And then, of course, there was no more time to make.
She pushed thoughts of her mom out of her head. Emilie had never been great at focusing, but today, she would do it. She had to.
And there he was. Jeremy Cox. He stood on a footbridge with his back to the pond. He looked just like all his pictures online. He had rust-red hair, a perfectly groomed beard, and was dressed like a hip young rock climber. Gray fitted long-sleeved T-shirt. Canvas cargo pants, the kind made for climbing. Brown hiking boots, well worn, she noted. A TV crew of three surrounded Jeremy while a woman with a pitch-perfect NPR voice asked him questions he’d probably been asked a billion times before.
Interviewer: So, Jeremy, why only girls? You have this incredible skill, but only use it to help find missing girls.
Jeremy: Girls and women.
Interviewer: Right. But why just them? No boys at all?
Jeremy: Women get lost differently than men, who get lost differently than small children, who get lost differently than the elderly. A lot of psychology goes into it. It makes sense to...
Reviews-
Starred review from July 29, 2024 Shaffer (The Wishing Game) plays on portal fantasy nostalgia in this brilliant riff on the Chronicles of Narnia. Emilie Wendell is mourning the loss of her adoptive mother when she discovers she has a half-sister who was kidnapped 20 years ago. She begs the help of famous missing-persons investigator Jeremy Cox. Jeremy and his high school best friend, Rafe Howell, were lost as teenagers in West Virginia’s Red Crow State Park and emerged six months later completely changed. Rafe, now an artist, can’t remember what happened, and ever since the incident his drawings have returned to a fantastical world he can’t explain. Jeremy knows the truth—that they went through a portal into that other realm—but he’s bound by a promise not to reveal the truth to Rafe. When Rafe joins in the search for Emilia’s long-lost sister, the investigation takes both men back to the wondrous but deadly world they once loved. Shaffer manages to capture the joys and magic of childhood innocence alongside the wisdom that comes with age and the heartache and scars that make it difficult to go home again. The taut mystery keeps the pages of this love letter to the fantasy genre flying. Readers will be transfixed. Agent: Amy Tannenbaum, Jane Rotrosen Agency.
As teenagers, best friends Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell went missing in West Virginia's Red Crow State Park and mysteriously reappeared six months later. Fifteen years later, Rafe can't remember anything about what happened, and Jeremy has become a missing persons investigator. Now, vet tech Emilie Wendel needs their help finding the sister she never knew she had. Unfortunately for the men, Emilie's sister was lost in the same woods. If they are to locate her, they must return to that unsettling place that others know as the Red Crow Woods, but for them will always be a magical kingdom where sword fights, archery, doorways for discovery, and fantastical creatures reveal truths and hold adventure. Though narrator Jorjeana Marie nails her portraits of Emilie and the omniscient Storyteller, the men's voices sound very much alike, to the point where the characters start to blend together. VERDICT Shaffer's (The Wishing Game) second novel presents a marvelous fairy-tale world, channeling the nostalgic wonder of C.S. Lewis's Narnia. Despite some similarities in the characters' voices, this enchanting portal story is highly recommended.--Richard Winters
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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Jorjeana Marie's captivating narration brings this Narnia-inspired gateway fantasy to life. Grieving the recent loss of her mother, vet tech Emilie Wendell vows to find the half-sister she never knew, who disappeared in a West Virginia forest years ago. Desperate for a lead, she enlists the help of Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell--estranged friends who emerged from the same forest after an unexplained disappearance 15 years earlier. Marie tells the story with a gentleness and warmth that add to its nostalgic premise. She provides distinct voices for all three leads, as well as the characters they encounter on their dangerous journey. The result is an immersive experience that mirrors Emilie's descent into a dark yet enchanting realm and her companions' traumatic memories. C.J.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
