Forests of the Heart

The Newford Series, Book 7

By: Charles de Lint

Narrated by: Jennifer Jill Araya

In the Old Country, they called them the Gentry: ancient spirits of the land, magical, amoral, and dangerous. When the Irish emigrated to North America, some of the Gentry followed...only to find that the New World already had spirits of its own, called manitou and other such names by the Native tribes.

Now generations have passed and the Irish have made homes in the new land, but the Gentry still wander homeless on the city streets. Gathering in the city shadows, they bide their time and dream of power. As their dreams grow harder, darker, fiercer, so do the Gentry themselves - appearing to those with the sight to see them, as hard and dangerous men, invariably dressed in black.

Bettina can see the Gentry, and knows them for what they are. Part Indian, part Mexican, she was raised by her grandmother to understand the spirit world. Now she lives in Kellygnow, a massive old house run as an arts colony on the outskirts of Newford, a world away from the Southwestern desert of her youth. Outsider her nighttime window, she often spies the dark men, squatting in the snow, smoking, brooding, waiting. She calls them los lobos, the wolves, and stays clear of them - until the night one follows her to the woods, and takes her hand....

Ellie, an independent young sculptor, is another with magic in her blood, but she refuses to believe it, even though she too sees the dark men. A strange old woman has summoned Ellie to Kellygnow to create a mask for her based on an ancient Celtic artifact. It is the mask of the mythic Summer King - another thing Ellie does not believe in. Yet lack of belief won’t dim the power of the mask, or its dreadful intent.

Donal, Ellie’s former lover, comes from an Irish family and knows the truth at the heart of the old myths. He thinks he can use the mask and the “hard men” for his own purposes. And Donal’s sister, Miki, a punk accordion player, stands on the other side of the Gentry’s battle with the Native spirits of the land. She knows that more than her brother’s soul is at stake. All of Newford is threatened, human and mythic beings alike.

Once again Charles de Lint weaves the mythic traditions of many cultures into a seamless cloth, bringing folklore, music, and unforgettable characters to life on modern city streets.

©2000 Charles de Lint (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing

I love the mixing of cultures and myths

There was something about the narrator's voice, the tone and emphasis, that made me dislike some of the characters where I did not when reading the print version. The shrillness of Bettina's voice made her feel childish, petty and unlikable. I found it difficult to finish since it gave me a headache. Otherwise this is my favorite of de Lint's books. He reminds me strongly of Neil Gaimen, my favorite author.

Better after you have lived in Newford

When this was my first de Lint read, I only gave it 4. After living in Newford in 3 or 4 other works then coming back to this neighborhood, I'll boost it to a 5, but I'll stay with a rating of 4 for first timers. This is not a story that will put you on the edge of your seat, and I wasn't as enthralled as I was when my daughter introduced me to JK Rowling. But a few hundred YA fantasy novels later, this one does sit atop the hill. The forest is not middle earth Mirkwood; it is more like Heartwood and maybe the English heath, in a positive, non-Wuthering Heights sort of way. It's American: a benign, romantic forest. But with an Irish bedevilment. And saguaro instead of cedar and pines. I think the book cover is misleading if you take it literally.
Does remind me a bit of Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys; and of course Rick Riordan does much with a similar theme for a younger audience.

My favorite fantasy writer’s opus

I read this book 20 years ago. The audiobook held up to the tests of time and Jennifer Jill Araya did a phenomenal job. 10 stars!

Wonderful Story

I always enjoy DeLint’s books. It’s a relaxing gift to listen to this excellent narrator and story. I’ve read most all the books long ago. Imagination-what a pleasure again!

wonderful story, narrator needs volume control

Narrator makes it very difficult to listen to this wonderful story. She gets so loud and sharp it hurts your ears and then you can't even hear the very next sentence because her volume goes down to a whisper. She needs to learn more consistency. This happens throughout the whole story and I found myself turning the volume up and down and up and down and repeating something I couldn't hear and then getting my eardrums blasted by the next sentence. The story is so good or I would have never been able to finish it with this particular narrator.