Review: Dark and Moving Piece of Contemporary Fiction with Threads of Romance and Fantasy
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 11, 2014
In “Manroot,” Anne Steinberg weaves together fantasy, romance, and a young girl’s coming of age into a darkly magical story that’s entertaining and, at times, heartbreaking.As the novel opens, Katherine and her father, a drunk drifter, finally alight in one place—he will work in the town’s hotel as a handyman, and she will work as a maid. The gruff Freida soon takes Katherine under her wing, telling her stories of her baby that was stolen by gypsies and teaching her the proper to harvest the ginseng root, which sells for a good price. As Katherine gets used to her new life, she’s also deeply drawn to a guest, the Honorable Judge William Reardon—and despite being much older than her and married, he’s drawn to her too. As the pair bond over astrology and even gardening, Katherine becomes convinced they belong together—and her pursuit of him and what flows from that relationship shapes the rest of the novel.“Manroot” could be classified as magical realism in the tradition of Alice Hoffman, though the story and prose are a lot grittier than Hoffman’s. Katherine is always a character you empathize with, given her harsh backstory and the hard path she takes through life. I also really enjoyed how the author wove elements of Katherine’s Native American heritage and beliefs into the story; at times, such as Katherine’s believe in the ominous “Oh mu,” the book even flirts with horror. The Judge was also a complex and well-done character, with his own demons and motivations; he’s a far from perfect man who meets his perfect match only after he’s married and it’s too late. Though I felt the book slowed a little toward the end—Katherine was the most interesting character to me by far, and when she wasn’t the primary focus I was less interested—the ending was unexpected and satisfying.“Manroot” is an undeniably good read; it’s well-written with a compelling plot and memorable characters. Recommended to readers who enjoy contemporary fiction imbued with fantasy, including Native American themes and the supernatural.