The Old Country

Great-grandmother Gisella tells her grandson the story of the time in the Old Country when, ignoring her aunt's advice, she stared too long into the eyes of a fox and was herself turned her into a fox.

As she tries to track down the thieving animal, she travels through a landscape torn apart and destroyed by a meaningless, genocidal war so savage that it is destroying the last of the land's magic.

Part fantasy, it has obvious references to Alice in Wonderland in its trial scenes and to The Wizard of Oz in the scenes set in the emperor's palace. But the story also resounds with references to today's world and the horrifying continuation of a holocaust mentality even among those who would condemn such a concept in other nations.

The book contains many elements, which can be interpreted in so many ways that it will feed the reader's mind and promote serious thoughts and considerations. It will take a highly confident reader to enjoy the narrative, but it would be well worthwhile to persevere, to get into the rhythm and the style and to make the connections with ongoing situations in the real world.

A very unusual experience.

The Old Country. By Mordicai Gerstein. The O'Brien Press €7.95. Age 10 plus