147 pages
English language
Published July 15, 1987 by Penguin Books--Virago Press.
Delightfully enchanting. On offer is an antidote to the jaded disillusionment of the way of things - the way things could be if one were to travel light.
Beyond the context of Mitchison being a friend/contemporary of Tolkien, this is a fascinating story that successfully subverts and questions a surprising amount of fantasy tropes and contains social commentary that remains topical and relevant to this day. "Ahead of its time" really doesn't even begin to cover it.
Like many I was driven to read it thanks to Amal El-Mohtar's NPR review and the book's mention in This Is How You Lose The Time War and don't regret it one bit.
