Some Kind of Fairy Tale - Graham Joyce
It is Christmas afternoon and Peter Martin gets an unexpected phone call from his parents, asking him to come round. It pulls him away from his wife and children and into a bewildering mystery.
He arrives at his parents house and discovers that they have a visitor. His sister Tara. Not so unusual you might think, this is Christmas after all, a time when families get together. But twenty years ago Tara took a walk into the woods and never came back and as the years have gone by with no word from her the family have, unspoken, assumed that she was dead. Now she's back, tired, dirty, disheveled, but happy and full of stories about twenty years spent traveling the world, an epic odyssey taken on a whim.
But her stories don't quite hang together and once she has cleaned herself up and got some sleep it becomes apparent that the intervening years have been very kind to Tara. She really does look no different from the young woman who walked out the door twenty years ago. Peter's parents are just delighted to have their little girl back, but Peter and his best friend Richie, Tara's one time boyfriend, are not so sure. Tara seems happy enough but there is something about her. A haunted, otherworldly quality. Some would say it's as if she's off with the fairies. And as the months go by Peter begins to suspect that the woods around their homes are not finished with Tara and his family...
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In 'Some Kind of Fairy Tale', Graham Joyce weaves a fascinating tale that raises questions about memory, identity, and the nature of reality. Tara's sudden return from the woods after two decades unsettles her family, especially her brother Peter. As they grapple with her fantastical stories of adventure, they must confront the possibility that the woods harbor more than meets the eye. Joyce's storytelling invites readers to reflect on the impact of time and absence within familial bonds. The juxtaposition of the mundane Christmas setting with the extraordinary nature of Tara's experience creates a compelling narrative tension. Peter’s skepticism towards Tara's uncanny demeanor and his growing suspicion of the woods adds layers of intrigue to the plot. As Peter seeks answers, he encounters themes of loss and the supernatural that echo throughout the story. The return of a loved one can often lead to bittersweet revelations as families reassess their histories and confront unresolved emotions. 'Some Kind of Fairy Tale' is not merely a story about a lost sister; it's a haunting exploration of how we reconcile the past with our present lives. For readers interested in magical realism and rich character studies, Joyce's novel offers an enchanting experience filled with breathtaking imagery and thought-provoking character dynamics. It invites discussions on broader themes of belonging, change, and the eerie enchantment that the natural world can evoke.