The Ogress and the Orphans
Kelly Barnhill
Algonquin Young Readers
Published March 8, 2022
Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads
About The Ogress and the Orphans
A fantasy about the power of generosity and love, and how a community suffers when they disappear.
Stone-in-the-Glen, once a lovely town, has fallen on hard times. Fires, floods, and other calamities have caused the people to lose their library, their school, their park, and even their neighborliness. The people put their faith in the Mayor, a dazzling fellow who promises he alone can help. After all, he is a famous dragon slayer. (At least, no one has seen a dragon in his presence.) Only the clever children of the Orphan House and the kindly Ogress at the edge of town can see how dire the town’s problems are.
Then one day a child goes missing from the Orphan House. At the Mayor’s suggestion, all eyes turn to the Ogress. The Orphans know this can’t be: the Ogress, along with a flock of excellent crows, secretly delivers gifts to the people of Stone-in-the-Glen.
But how can the Orphans tell the story of the Ogress’s goodness to people who refuse to listen? And how can they make their deluded neighbors see the real villain in their midst?
My Review
I was not prepared for the timeliness of this book. I’m not even sure I read the back cover copy. I’ve heard countless amazing things about the book from other reviewers and friends, so I picked it up on the strength of those recommendations. Plus, I loved The Girl Who Drank the Moon, also by Barnhill, so I had high expectations.
Within the first few pages, I was hooked. The story centers around a small town that’s not doing so well. It used to be lovely, and the children in the home for orphans try to remember that loveliness and figure out why it disappeared. The other villagers seem convinced that the ogress who lives just outside town must be the reason. But the older children remember her moving in after the town lost its shine.
Periodically, a narrator speaks directly to the reader as an eyewitness to past events. I loved this, but I can see some readers finding it annoying. If it was simply an excuse to break the fourth wall and fill readers in on information the other characters don’t have, it would be kind of gimmicky. However, the author reveals the narrator’s identity late in the book, and it so perfectly fits in with the story world she’s created and the story’s overall message. That moment when we learn who the narrator is landed beautifully with me. I felt like all the pieces of the tale had snapped into place.
Another thing that the author does so well is balancing darkness and light in this book. The town is failing. Neighbors don’t trust one another. The children don’t have enough to eat. At the same time, whimsical elements offer hope and create a sense of wonder and magic, even in the bleakness. One child hears the wooden beams of the house, made from old oak trees, tell the stories of the town and its inhabitants. The ogress bakes treats and leaves them on the villagers’ doorsteps. The crows speak to one another in a language the children learn from a book in their reading room.
Conclusion
This beautiful story examines the value of community and the kinds of events that erode or destroy our connections to one another. But it doesn’t stop there. Barnhill also shows how a courageous few speaking up against injustice and taking steps to show kindness and protect the vulnerable can change the course of others. Each person has a role in rebuilding connections and creating a more just community.
This book is as whimsical as it is timely. The storytelling speaks truth in love and reminds us who our best selves are. I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s absolutely worth a read. This one is going on my summer read-aloud list for sure.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.
Romance/Sexual Content
None.
Spiritual Content
There are some fantasy-based characters, like dragons, ogres, etc. Dragons have a spiritual practice that evolved over time in which they live as an animal for a period of time as an exercise in developing empathy or broadening their experience.
Violent Content
Situations of peril. Demonizing of an outsider. References to and brief descriptions of a building fire.
Drug Content
None.
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I remember being curious when this book came out. You’re right that it’s timely right now. I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’ll see if I can get to it as I whittle down my TBR list.