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The Stoddard farm is a small holding, somewhere in New England. Its residents consist of the gruff farmer, Mr Stoddard, his wife and an array of animals. There’s the goats and pigs, the farm cat, the many field mice and rats, a pond and an owl. They’re a close knit bunch, even with the rivalries between the species; the mice are hunted by the owl and the farm cat, but a truce is always called when they’re congregated in the barn. Here, they will place wagers on various things, make rules for raiding the farmers’ larder and exchange the latest farm gossip. It’s a happy place, the barn on the Stoddard farm, or it was until the owl and cat make a bet that will forever change the relationships between the animals.
What follows is a whimsical tale of life and death, bundled up in short story. Dublin tackles death head on and early on; not shying away from what is one of the most difficult subjects to broach with children of any age. He forges ahead with tragedy with such aptitude and empathy, it’s difficult to remember that this is, essentially, a children’s book. The older characters deal with the deaths of their friends in a no-nonsense way, having lived through many seasons and seen many of the other animals be taken by ‘the Black Swan’ (which is Dublin’s metaphor for death). These older animals lead the younger, more naive inhabitants of the farm through their grief with their levity and maturity. The animals don’t fear death, nor do the older ones mourn – they celebrate the life that’s been lived and remember the times they’ve shared.
The Black Swan isn’t even an angel of death that the animals fear, even though they do hold her in reverence almost equalling a religious deity. They know that when she comes for their soul, on silent wings, they will no longer feel pain and be taken to the Valley of Splendour, where they can flit and frolic to their heart’s content. A beautiful metaphor that not only comforts the animals when a loved one is lost, but has them striving to be the very best that their species can be while they live. It’s one that had me comforted; not only thinking of lost loved ones, but of imagining my own children reading this beautiful book, and being comforted themselves.
Facing ones mortality is never an easy process, especially for children – be they infants, pre-teens or even teenagers. While this book is aimed more at the pre-teens than teenagers (talking animals), it’s themes are deeper than most adult story books I’ve read.
S. A.
First published on Reedsy Discovery as part of their ARC program. Read the original review here.
You can purchase Into What Splendor by clicking on the books name. It is also available to read for free on Kindle Unlimited.