The Weaver

by Emmi Itäranta

Overview

The author of the critically acclaimed Memory of Water returns with this literary ecological tale in the vein of Ursula K. Le Guin and Sheri S. Tepper, in which an innocent young woman becomes entangled in a web of ancient secrets and deadly lies that lie at the dark center of her prosperous island world.

Eliana is a model citizen of the island, a weaver in the prestigious House of Webs. She also harbors a dangerous secret—she can dream, an ability forbidden by the island’s elusive council of elders. No one talks about the dreamers, the undesirables ostracized from society.

But the web of protection Eliana has woven around herself begins to unravel when a young girl is found lying unconscious in a pool of blood on the stones outside the house. Robbed of speech by her attackers, the only clue to her identity is one word tattooed in invisible ink across her palm: Eliana. Why does this mysterious girl bear her name? What links her to the weaver—and could she hold Eliana’s fate in her hand?

As Eliana finds herself growing closer to this injured girl she is bound to in ways she doesn’t understand, the enchanting lies of the island begin to crumble, revealing a deep and ancient corruption. Joining a band of brave rebels determined to expose the island’s dark secrets, Eliana becomes a target of ruthless forces determined to destroy her. To save herself and those she loves, she must call on the power within her she thought was her greatest weakness: her dreams.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062326171
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	11/01/2016
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Emmi Itäranta writes fiction in Finnish and English. Her professional background is an eclectic mix of writing-related activities, including stints as a columnist, theatre critic, scriptwriter and press officer. She is the author of Memory of Water and lives in Canterbury, England.

Editorial Reviews

★ 07/18/2016
Celebrated Finnish writer Itäranta’s second novel (following Memory of Water) is a finely crafted fantasy tale that seamlessly blends a coming-of-age story with high-stakes intrigue and danger. Eliana is a young woman who lives cloistered away in her island community’s House of Webs, where all orders pass through the head Weaver and the oligarchical Council. When Eliana comes across a wounded woman who has secrets and knows her name, they must work together to unravel the island’s history of political corruption and discrimination. Itäranta’s prose is luminous and filled with rich detail. The setting is inventive, yet one might imagine that it could have existed in our own world. Eliana has her own struggles with being an outsider, marked as undesirable by the rest of society; she is multifaceted and a sympathetic protagonist. Itäranta writes engagingly, displaying her setting and atypical characters in full color. Both seasoned readers of fantasy and newcomers to the genre will savor Itäranta’s captivating fiction. Agent: Elina Ahlback, Elina Ahlback Literary. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

Celebrated Finnish writer Itäranta’s second novel…is a finely crafted fantasy tale that seamlessly blends a coming-of-age story with high-stakes intrigue and danger…Itäranta writes engagingly, displaying her setting and atypical characters in full color. Both seasoned readers of fantasy and newcomers to the genre will savor Itäranta’s captivating fiction. — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Itäranta’s lyrical style makes this dystopian tale a beautiful exploration of environmental ethics and the power of ritual.” — Washington Post Book World on MEMORY OF WATER

“An exceptionally fine debut novel in which all elements come together in a controlled and well-considered manner. At the same time, the novel is fascinating and addictive.” — Turun Sanomat - Finland newspaper

“[Memory of Water] is simultaneously a coming-of-age story, a fantastic adventure, and a bold warning about a future that is all too real.” — Portland Book Review on MEMORY OF WATER

“Where Itäranta shines is in her rejection of conventional plots and in her understated but compelling characters. The work is a deceptively tranquil examination of a world of dust and ashes where the tenacious weed of hope still survives.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) on MEMORY OF WATER

“The writing is gorgeous and delicate in this dystopian award-winning debut, which is unique in both its setting and the small scale that Finnish author Itäranta employs.” — Library Journal (starred review) on Memory of Water

From the Publisher

An exceptionally fine debut novel in which all elements come together in a controlled and well-considered manner. At the same time, the novel is fascinating and addictive.

Turun Sanomat - Finland newspaper

Itäranta’s lyrical style makes this dystopian tale a beautiful exploration of environmental ethics and the power of ritual.

Washington Post Book World on MEMORY OF WATER

[Memory of Water] is simultaneously a coming-of-age story, a fantastic adventure, and a bold warning about a future that is all too real.

Portland Book Review on MEMORY OF WATER

10/15/2016
Eliana, a craftswoman at the House of Webs, discovers a wounded young woman and helps bring her back to the weaver compound. The woman has had her tongue cut out but has Eliana's name tattooed on her hand. As the two become close, Eliana's secrets are in danger of being exposed. She is a dreamer, and dreams are considered a disease in her world. The setting, a totalitarian island world ruled by a shadowy council, is well wrought but with a feeling more like fantasy than the author's explicitly sf The Memory of Water. The pacing is slow, however, and there are many long descriptions of dreams and visions. VERDICT Finnish author Itäranta delivers another lyrical dystopian novel. Those willing to put in the time will get a nuanced heroine, a tender love story, and lovely prose.—MM

Library Journal