The Norwegian fairytale East of the Sun, West of the Moon is one of my favourites and this novella version by the artist and illustrator, Jackie Morris, is a beautiful retelling. I have been dipping into it as I spent the last few weeks decorating my bedroom, and after long days up to my eyes in wallpaper and paint, reading a chapter or two each night has been the perfect way to unwind. The book sweeps you away to a cold Nordic landscape from the opening pages and it holds you fast in its grip until the very end.
Similar to Jackie Morris's other books, such as The Quiet Music of Gently Falling Snow, it is lavishly illustrated with beautiful watercolour images that dream into one another, lending an even greater sense of enchantment to an already magical fairytale. It is a beautiful hardback book, with a slim ribbon bookmark attached and the image of a polar bear embossed in gold on the cover. I do love polar bears!
In this story, a great white bear comes in the night and asks a young girl to spend a year and day with him at his castle in the far northern mountains. She agrees and soon learns to love the bear, though she suspects that he might be keeping secrets from her. When she learns what his secret is, the bear disappears and she is left bereft. Determined to find him, she embarks on a snowy adventure, seeking out the enchanted castle that lies East of the Sun, West of the Moon, where her beloved is being held captive.
This retelling is told in a very traditional way, with all the usual tropes of a classic fairytale - there are three gifts, three magical sisters, seemingly impossible tasks, glamour magic, a seductive Trickster and elemental helpers. The tale whisks the reader along from quiet, gentle woodlands and through desert storms, culminating in a land of ice and snow at the very top of the world, where the bear-prince sleeps alone in his tower as he awaits his rescuing maiden.
It is a stunning book and a very pretty retelling of a charming Nordic fairytale. The illustrations add to the atmosphere of the story, with polar bears aplenty, rich woodlands and snowscapes all brought to life with the expert stroke of the artist's brush. I especially like the Queen of the White Bears scene, with the Northern Lights in the background, its so pretty. There is a twist at the end, and while personally I would have preferred a more traditional ending, this new ending is more in keeping with a modern reading audience. It is a nice ending, but I would have liked the original better and found it more satisfying, I think.
Having said that, East of the Sun, West of the Moon is a very charming book, with both the prose and images living up to the high expectations readers have for Morris's work. Its a lovely story to read as the darkness gathers and the nights draw in. The snowy setting makes it a perfect winter read in the run up to the festive season. It's like a polar bear hug in a book! And who wouldn't love to be friends with a polar bear? I know I would - I could do with a bear-hug! Enjoy.
Serene Blessings
Marie x
AD: This book is about to be re-released on 24th November 2025 and is up for Pre-Order now in hard cover format.
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