Forest Song: Finding Home

by Vila SpiderHawk, Kimberlee Williams (Illustrator), Smoky Trudeau (Editor)

The story of Judy Baumann s struggle to escape to her true home in the woods and to grow into her power there. A cast of magical characters, including a witch, the witch s consort, a family of fairies, an ancient oak, and a bevy of animals each help her in this enterprise. We lived just at the edge of the frontier, as Mama called it, at the border of civilization. According to her the woods beyond our field was a lawless place, full of perils far worse than I could imagine, and so she made me promise to stay in our back yard or, if I was with my brother or an adult, the field beyond. But never did she allow me near the woods. She worried about the forest and other dangers too, man dangers. That's what she called them. Man dangers. The story, situated between Germany and Poland, begins in 1929 and ends in 1933 when Judy becomes a woman.

399 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 2008

About the author

Vila SpiderHawk lives in the woods of Pennsylvania with her husband, their six cats, and their many woodland friends.

SpiderHawk is a gourmet Vegan cook, and an avid gardener.

Reviews

[Zinta · Rating 5 out of 5]

As if inviting us into a warm and cozy room, the first page opens like a door, and we are greeted by an elderly woman who invites the reader in to tell the tale of her life. Somewhere in the vicinity of Germany and Poland, around the year 1929, a little girl called Judy Baumann (now the elderly woman) lived in poverty with her mama, her papa and her brother Johann.

Little Judy longed for the woods. Not just longing to play among the trees, but more—she felt the forest call to her in the way that one senses the call of home, almost like a siren call. It wasn’t so much that her family didn’t love her, but her life with them is harsh and anything but nurturing. Judy wants something more … right.

When Herr Schuler, a brusque neighbor, molests her, her parents shrug it off. The man has influence; he shouldn’t be angered. Even her mother sends her the message that she must tolerate such things, that there are “man dangers” for women in life, and that is how it is.

Judy works hard, tries to please her parents, wants to bring a little brightness into their bleak and impoverished life, yet is forever misunderstood or brushed off. It is difficult for the reader not to feel some sympathy for Judy’s mother, who toils away as a seamstress and quietly supports the family, even while letting Judy’s father think that they survive due to his efforts. Yet she borders on, and sometimes crosses into, abusiveness with her daughter. No doubt it is all she knows, the best she knows, and thinks it wise to keep her daughter’s expectations of life to the absolute minimum or risk disappointment such as she knows. It’s parenting that kills the child’s spirit.

Judy’s spirit will not be quashed. She finds it ever more impossible to stay away from the woods surrounding their home. Her father builds an ugly iron fence around the house to keep her in after her repeated attempts to run to the woods. Her mother warns her of the dangers of the forest, telling horror stories in an attempt to instill fear. And still, the little girl cannot resist the call of the forest. Again and again, she tries to escape, and at last succeeds.

It is then that the true enchantment begins, with Judy finding a new family in the forest—of animals and other fairy creatures, of kind witches and beings that shape shift from animal to human and back again, and talking trees. The author paints this world with such vivid colors that it comes alive in the mind’s eye, and one feels as welcome there as if finding home as well, on the page. The contrast between Judy’s two worlds couldn’t be more stark.

Judy grows up in the forest, from girl into woman, and much unlike her human family, here she is raised with kindness, compassion and encouragement. She is raised without fear and without instilling fear. Woven throughout her lessons from the forest folk are an acceptance of the cycle of life and death, a woman’s role in society and in family, a kind of spiritual and equally physical liberation. Nature is shown utmost respect, understood as a living thing that sustains us, and plants and animals as having innate value. In short, many of those lessons we’ve lost in contemporary society.

On the cycle of life and death:

“Death is a natural part of life, little one. If candles burned eternally, you’d have to sleep in their light. And if people and creatures didn’t die, no one could have joy of a baby in the house. We have to make room for that which is new while honoring that which was … Mourn the loss of your friend. But understand that your tears are for yourself. “ (Page 250-251)

On the role of pain and how life is sustained by life:

“’Nobody gets through life without causing pain … We kill to survive.’ She gestured to her plate. ‘… the wheat in these pancakes was once a living thing. The apples were too. Life feeds upon life. That’s just the way it is … We have to do harm to stay alive, and so we do it with reverence for the sacrifice the plants agreed to make for us.

‘Doing what is needed to fulfill your destiny is another means of survival. You could try to deny the work you’re destined to do, but you’d be wretched for the whole of your life. And the person you worry about hurting now would suffer even more for your pain.” (Page 263)

On women’s subjugation to men when selling their bodies:

“The sin you committed was against yourself. You’ve damaged your body, but more importantly, you’ve done great harm to your soul … There’s nothing sinful in joyful, loving sex. But none of this has brought you anything even vaguely resembling joy … You’ve accepted the notion that a woman can be sold, or worse, rented by the hour, and so you insult and diminish yourself … you are not a commodity.” (Page 277)

Many of these life lessons come from Matka Lasu, a kind of grandmotherly elder witch with a kind heart. It is not only Judy who comes to her in the forest for healing, but an ever present parade of broken women and girls. Many of them are pregnant and have nowhere to go. Others are abused or driven by hunger and poverty. All are helped, all are healed, even if some must die—in the cycle of life.

Forest Song: Finding Home is one in a series of books by Vila SpiderHawk. It’s the second by this author I’ve read. SpiderHawk’s work has a haunting, soothing quality, like a warming balm, finding those aching places most all girls and women have and resonating with understanding. It’s a story that can be read by any age group, from preteen to elderly adult, and still find enjoyment and value. While life lessons abound, they are delivered gently, and interwoven seamlessly into the storyline, so that they do not read as preachy or didactic, but rather as the logical steps along a young girl’s hero quest to fulfill her potential.

[Vila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forest Song – Finding Home by Vila Spiderhawk © Vanilla Heart Publishing ISBN 978-0-9814739-8-7 399 pages $15.99 (U.S.)

This is the second book I have read by this author. The first was Hidden Passages, which was a collection of short stories. This one is a full length novel, which allows for greater character development.

This book is a treat. It has so many facets it is dazzling. It is a fascinating story of a young girl’s encounters with life. It is a novel set in the recent past. It teaches basic magical concepts and beliefs. On top of all that it is an enjoyable book which is fun to read.

It is, I suspect (and hope) the prelude to a series of books which will allow us to experience Judy’s journey from a gawky pre-teen running away from an over-controlling family through her years to the start of her life as woman, and on to her crone-hood. There is much to tell if this book is any indication.

Ms. SpiderHawk knows how to tell a story. It will appeal to a wide range of readers, ranging in age from young adult through senior citizen; from those looking for a fun story to members of the Pagan community looking for a way to pass along some basic knowledge in a painless way.

I cannot recommend this author’s work strongly enough. Vanilla Heart Publishing is also becoming a favorite publisher.


— Michael Gleason

[Sandra Carrington-Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

With words as magical as the realms she so skillfully describes, Vila Spiderhawk's charming voice shines through the pages of "Forest Song: Finding Home".
Spellbinding bits of wisdom are delightfully threaded through the fibers of a most enchanting story, in which harsh reality and blissful fantasy dance gracefully together.
The reader can't help identifying with at least one of the wonderful characters in the story, especially Judy, the young and courageous little girl whom, under the watchful eye of her teacher Matka Lasu, is gradually initiated into the mysteries of womanhood, birth and death; through Judy's eyes, one feels the connection with all expressions of life and glimpses at the greater concept of being part of a whole.
In the end, as Judy finds herself reflected into the very thing she feared in the beginning, she discovers that embracing one's fears is the road that will lead to one's true power.
"Forest Song: Finding Home" is a book I will not soon forget, and I certainly believe that it is a must-read for all who seek greater enlightenment, or even for those who just need a good story to brighten their day.

[Marsha Downs · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a very magical book, Vila SpiderHawk has painted a beautiful picture with her words of a world that very quickly stole its way into my heart. I could see it all so clearly, feel it as though I was sharing the experiences of the main character; her frustrations, her joys, her pain, her discoveries, and even smell the essence of it all. The knowledge Vila has of ritual, herbs, wildlife, and magic make this book come to life. All the characters, all the enchantment, all the wonder leaps off the pages and drives the imagination. It brought me back to the time of my own childhood and the awe I found in the magic of nature. Like an artist holding a brush, her descriptions keep putting more and more richness into each page, and it is more like watching a movie in your head that reading words. I honestly can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed this book and the adventure of it all! Thank you, Vila! Now on to the second book, “Forest Song: Little Mother.”

[Deb Orndorff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complex & Enthralling

I read a lot & a lot of the books I get are fun but shallow. I accidentally ran across this book, the price was right so I thought I'd try it. I hit gold. This book totally impressed me. This is truly a masterpiece. It starts of with a willful child who won't stay home. It is set in Poland at the start of Hitler's regime. You are given so many details you see, smell, & feel you are Judy, the child. You get an insight into the lives of people at that time. You can hear the dishes rattle You can taste the array of vegetables,& you can smell the soup. This child runs from her family's home and into an enchanted forest. She chooses to remain in the forest & grows up, learning that the forest is full of magick. You'll feel like Alice in Wonderland when you read about all her wondrous experiences. I don't want to be a spoiler but this is a must read. This is the first book of a trilogy & appropriate for teens & adults.

[Connie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Filled with life lessons and bits of wisdom, however can be slow and as for an ending, there really isnt one, seems the author got lost in telling lessons and forgot the story. Interesting but wont read again.....