The Curse of Madame Petrova
CCBC Review:
A moody fairy tale translated from the Dutch tells the fate of twins predicted by Madame Petrova to kill each other. Years later, Silke and Janis (white) are now orphans who faked their death and ran away from the cruel cousins who inherited the family estate. Silke, the sister, is committed to strategizing a better life. Janis, the brother, wants nothing more than to create art and find quiet companionship with animals. Together, they are determined to break from their terrible past and the fortune told to their dead parents. The twins try to eke out a living from Silke’s hunting and by selling the wooden spoons carved by Janis. While peddling in town, they are taken in by Loore and Ranno and invited to join their traveling wagon. Loore is a fortune-teller who wants Silke as an apprentice. Ranno trains Trine, a dancing bear who enchants Janis. An agreement is made to join the couple, but it’s uneasy because of the role of card-reading in the twins’ lives, as well as the debt they’ve incurred for food and clothing. Though elements of this folkloric novel might feel familiar to readers, tensions related to truth and entitlement keep the twin’s future unclear until the very end. Striking full-page etchings illustrate this handsome, unusual volume. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by
Annette Fienieg
Translated by
Bill Nagelkerke
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 10-13
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
Families
Folk and Fairy Tales
Siblings
Translated Books
Trauma
Truth and Lies
Publisher:
Levine Querido
Publish Year: 2024
Pages: 265
ISBN: 9781646144532
CCBC Location: Fiction, Hof