The Witch's Boy Book

Not as eerie as the cover implied to me. But still wise. Mostly fairly light, but with some exciting bits and some intense ideas. I was very pleasantly surprised by the 'take' that Gruber implies is the 'real' version of the original fairy tales, clever and a whole 'nother point of view.

The mother is *not* uncaring. The boy is *not* a Chosen One. His quest is personal, her life is her own. Good is quite nice, evil is quite wicked, but the fate of the world doesn't hang on anybody's shoulders... rather, life goes on, just like it does irl.

A motto/ saying among cats is, apparently, "Cuff and cuddle cats the kittens," which means little ones need both love and discipline to grow up well.

We of the common earth have our own magic: "We have birth and death, sorrow and joy. We have art and industry; we have poetry and love. We have pity and we have mercy. They [the fay] have none.... In the world of men it is remarkable that a cat turns into a man; here it is just as remarkable for a kitten to turn into a cat."

While not vegetarian friendly, the book is nonetheless respectful of nature and the dignities of all life. A special meal calls for a goose: "The woman returned, carrying a large gray goose in her arms. She took it into a quiet corner and spoke to it, and listened while the goose spoke to her, and then she killed it, swiftly and gently."