Încă un capitol: Book Review: Pray for Fey by Mark Woollacott

Book source: Goodreads First Reads

My rating: 4.5 stars

What if someone close to you died and you desperately wanted to believe that one day you would see them again in an afterlife - but the society you are brought up in and its culture, has no knowledge of an afterlife and denies its very existence?

Following the tragic death of her sister, Fey (a young idealistic fairy) is determined to prove that there is an afterlife for fairies - something which fairies have always denied the existence of. Not only is Fey prepared to sacrifice love in order to search for her spiritual identity but, more astonishingly and at great personal cost to herself, she breaks with years of fairy convention and turns to human beings for guidance and commits herself to their God in the hope of being granted a soul and eternal life in heaven.

Pray for Fey is a deeply moving fairy tale set in the late nineteenth century, in rural Brittany, France. It is a tragic love story that truly touches the heart and reveals what really happens to fairies after they die.

This fairytale tells the story of Fey, who is part of a wingless kind of fairies and possesses only limited magical abilities. After the death of her sister, Fey eagerly wants to meet her in another existence, but her kind has no knowledge of an afterlife. Therefore, she searches for religious guidance among the human beings, and she finds it in Samuel, an old priest who teaches her about God. Samuel offers her understanding and acceptance, but after his death, she asks Mr. Reville, Samuel's nephew, to help her continue her Christian studies. Life in the Revilles' house turns out to be difficult and miserable for Fey, but her faith grows stronger with every pain that she endures. She chooses to sacrifice her love and the desire to meet her family in order to prove her trust to God and be granted a soul. It is a touching and heartbreaking fairy tale.

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Besides the story itself, the book also gives a lesson about the right understanding of religion. The fairies don't have a religion, but their feelings are pure and strong. They are kind one with each other and their attitude to nature is deeply respectful. That makes them more worthy of an afterlife than the Revilles, who are close-minded, full of selfishness and prejudices.

One day, I was reading this book at school and a friend asked me: "What does the title mean? Is it Pray for faith?" Then I realized how the name of Fey sounds so much like "faith" and how suggestive it is for her condition. The word "fey" is also used to describe someone fated to die soon.

I expected to have some difficulties in reading this book, considering the fact that I am not a native English speaker, but it was not like that. It is an easy and captivating reading, suitable for all ages. Although it took me a long time to read it, due to a lack of time, you could easily read it in a few hours.

My favorite part of the book consists of the first 40 pages, in which Fey's idyllic life in the forest is described. It gave me a feeling of peace and warmth, also helping me find again the excitement of a child readingfairy tales. I really wish it would have been longer. Afterwards, the book becomes really sad, and it made my eyes teary; I thought Fey's sufferings were never going to end.

The end, however, was a bit disappointing. I expected the author to prove the existence of an afterlife in a somewhat thoughtful, philosophical manner. I didn't want it to be so revealing, but to make me reflect on religion and on the existence of an afterlife. But, leaving this aside, I think Pray for Fey is a great book from which we can draw lessons.

About the author

Mark Woollacott is the author of the new psychological drama, Turning Snowflakes into Snowdrops, the fairy-tale, Pray for Fey, and the play, Love Sings Like the Nightingale.

Mark has been writing stories and poetry for many years, but he didn’t know he wanted to be a writer until he read Winged Pharaoh by Joan Grant in 2001. After being inspired by this beautifully-written novel, he spent the next ten years researching and writing Pray for Fey and many other stories, including his debut play, Love Sings Like the Nightingale, and perfecting his craft as a writer. He was also working as an artist, but he knew writing would also become a major passion in his life.

Mark currently lives and works in a beautiful and inspiring part of south west England.