Penelope grace loves winter and all the light and hope of new life its promises, but this winter grows cold. Her family loses their joy, wonder, and light after a devastating blow. They seem beyond help, but a wolf finds Penelope and urges her to follow. When Penelope follows, she finds herself in a wondrous world where the battle for wonder and light will be fought.
I love how the story is written. It is told from an omniscient narrator point of view, and some people don't like that, but it honestly feels like you're sitting in front of fireplace on a cold winter night hearing this from your favorite relative--a relative that lets you know just enough to keep you asking for more, who winks and ask questions in all the right places, and knows exactly when to slow down the action and beautifully illustrate the deeper meaning of it all. It is beautifully written, engaging, innocent, deep, reliable, and significant.
You start reading it because it is beautiful; you keep reading it because it is meaningful.
The story is equally warm, inviting, and compelling. I love how the beginning draws you into Penelope Grace's family, and you fall in love with them quickly. Then it gets very real and difficult, and you connect even deeper with them in their struggle. You hurt with them and want good for them.
Then the fantasy elements increase all of that and add suspense and urgency. The story takes you to an amazing winter land with talking animals, Apricity, and a daunting enemy.
I loved the characters. The main character Penelope grace was likable and relatable. She had good qualities but also room for growth. The main supporting characters had distinct personalities and were just perfect for the story. The villain also perfectly represented what he was meant to.
The plot contained a problem that every person could relate to, and it takes the problem of lost wonder and reshapes it into an actual mission and battle so that you truly learn how to regain wonder, joy, and light. I very much appreciated that defeating darkness was not easy or step-by-step process and that in the end the hero is not who Penelope grace thinks it is supposed to be.
I love what this fantasy allegory teaches about God. It teaches us about our false human ideas, about our true role and purpose, and about hope.
I give Penelope Grace and the Winter Carousel 5 stars.
Please contact Alexandria Miracola and ask how to sign up for her blog where you can read Penelope Grace or purchase the manuscript of this wonderous story.