THREAD TRAVELLER
by Annabel Youens
A woman transported back in time finds herself in the midst of a struggle between women connected to nature and a patriarchal religious group in Youens’ fantasy novel.
On a family holiday in Kent, England, the meticulously organized August and her husband, Andrew, visit Shepherd Neame, Britain’s oldest brewery, for a tasting tour. August is suddenly transported to an alternate timeline when the historic beer, called Five Bees, was first brewed. Waking up naked and confused, August stumbles to a doorstep, guided by a black cat named Hazel. Margaret, a local healer and wise woman, welcomes the strange traveler to the community. Mental to-do lists and a desire to get back to her daughter, Ripley, rage in August’s mind as she slowly learns Margaret’s way of living by the lunar cycle and the healing powers of natural ingredients. But all is not well in the village: The fields of “cosmos” mushrooms that provide sporelock—a turf mixed from “the pulp of the fungi with hay and manure” used for building—are being destroyed at “the hands of the Divine Sphere,” a patriarchal religious organization that threatens Margaret’s way of life and destroys the surrounding ecosystem. A vast mycelium network called the Mother, which women who are in tune with the natural world have connected to for generations, warns, “we must keep the balance.” Margaret and her small group must find a way to resist the Divine Sphere and continue their practice undetected while August searches for a way back home. Youens crafts compelling inner voices for August and Margaret, and the pages radiate with the warmth the author brings to their world. The extended metaphor of weaving effectively emphasizes the connection between the past and present timelines, which is maintained by individuals who work with the natural world to create the contemporary beer. Margaret’s emotional history is delivered with care. At times, the narrative dips into a “telling” rather than “showing” mode, but the magical elements of the story are consistently captivating.
A strong debut with compelling characters that passionately advocates for community, nature, and found family.