Childhood memories are sometimes covered as obscured beneath the things that come later, like childhood toys forgotten at the bottom of a crammed adult closet, but they are never lost for good.

A middle-aged man returns to the village in which he grew up. There, at a farm at the end of the road, was here he met Lettie Hempstock and her mother and grandmother. He weaves together his memories of his childhood.

He was a bit of a lonely sort of child.

I was not happy as a child, although from time to time I was content. I lived in books more than I lived anywhere else.

Lettie becomes his friend. And protector. For there is something a little unusual about this wondrous girl, a little magical, a little mystical.

“How old are you, really?” I asked.
“Eleven.”
I thought for a bit. Then I asked, “How long have you been eleven for?”
She smiled at me.

As is the rest of her family and the farm they live in.

We brought a lot of this with us from the old country, when we came here. The farm came with us, and brought things with it when it came.

And there be monsters.

Monsters come in all shapes and sizes. Some of them are things people are scared of. Some of them are things that look like things people used to be scared of a long time ago. Sometimes monsters are things people should be scared of, but they aren’t.

 

This short, tightly-written novel is at once frightening and comforting, fairytale-like yet somewhat autobiographical, a tale of sorrow and joy.

And it shines with such brilliance.

Neil Gaiman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the novels Neverwhere, Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, Anansi Boys, The Graveyard Book, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, and Good Omens (with Terry Pratchett); the Sandman series of graphic novels; the story collections Smoke and Mirrors and Fragile Things; and co-editor (with Al Sarrantonio) of the fiction anthology Stories. He is the winner of numerous literary honors, including the Hugo, Bram Stoker, and World Fantasy Awards, and the Newbery Medal. Originally from England, he now lives in America.

Find out more about Neil at his website, connect with him on Facebook, and follow him onTwitter.

I received a copy of this book from its publisher and TLC Book Tours

 

Check out the other tour stops

Tuesday, June 3rd: Read. Write. Repeat.

Wednesday, June 4th: The Well-Read Redhead

Thursday, June 5th: Sara’s Organized Chaos

Monday, June 9th: The Scarlet Letter

Tuesday, June 10th: Ace and Hoser Blook

Wednesday, June 11th: The Book Wheel

Thursday, June 12th: guiltless reading

Monday, June 16th: Bibliophilia, Please

Tuesday, June 17th: Walking With Nora

Wednesday, June 18th: Olduvai Reads

Thursday, June 19th: Literary Feline

Monday, June 23rd: BoundbyWords

Wednesday, June 25th: Snowdrop Dreams of Books