Wild and Wonderful and Delightfully Odd!

West of the Moon is unlike anything that I have ever read before and probably will ever read again.  It is just lovely and yet it has many a sad and terribly awful parts to the story of Astri, a young Norwegian girl who lives with her evil aunt, wimpy uncle, cousins and little sister, Greta, after being pretty much abandoned by her father.  He just up and left Astri and Greta with this toad of a woman and set out for America. This book is just incredible.  Incredible.  I was also thankful to have the author's note at the end of the book that talked about the "America Fever" that hit Norway, when lots of folks thought that America was the place to be.  Once again, here is a remarkable piece of fiction, magical realism, I guess you would call it, that teaches so much.  The whole deal is about choices and forgiveness and this book reads like a beautiful, lovely sermon.  Now I know that word has negative connotations, but for someone who preaches, I don't mean it in any negative way at all!  This book is a thing of beauty.  Even though it has darkness in it, because that's life here on this side of the Jordan right?  The beauty with the ugly.