Moth Dust

by Bridget Beth Collins

Woven starlight, sparkling wings, a spider's dark revenge...When Flora is forced to work in a textile mill, she begins to unravel the secrets of Silkwood... a forest brimming with hidden magic. Could an unusual type of fairy be responsible for the mysterious things she discovers? With her new friends, who remind her of the moths she so dearly loves back home, she seeks a light that was stolen long ago.

With over eighty hand drawn illustrations by the award winning artist of Flora Forager, Moth Dust is sure to delight all ages.

For lovers of cottagecore, victorian ephemera, entomology, and old-fashioned fairytales. Inspired by eighties fantasy movies, Edwardian fairy illustrations, C.S. Lewis, Roald Dahl, and L. M. Montgomery.

Genres: Fantasy

331 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 5, 2023

Reviews

[Juliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt young with wonder - Reminiscent Hayao Miyazaki

I received an advanced copy and I am finally excited to share my review publicly. This book grabs you from the start and begs your curiosity to turn each page filled with magical illustrations. It takes me back to my fifth grade self first discovering Matilda. I can’t wait to read this to my nieces and nephew! I know they will be enchanted and live in the world Collins has created with mystery and magic.

[Kj · Rating 4 out of 5]

A treasure trove of wonder, delight, and the enchantments of the natural world.

Reading as an adult, it conjured up favorite elements of The Last Unicorn, The Secret Garden, Rainbow Bright (yeah, I know, but the colors! the outfits!), and what it would be like to run around the interior branches of a Christmas tree with Chip and Dale (if you swap the spruce for cherry blossoms and the chipmunks for caterpillars).

While the simple story could equally suit a child's picture book (and the book does include Collins' charming illustrations, evoking the spirit of Pauline Baynes and Beatrix Potter), the extended narrative of this young readers novel allows space for character growth, plot twists, and a remixing of classic 19th and 20th century children's stories minus the requisite patriarchal values or tacit justification of war/violence. Instead, we get a sweet and delicate story that also points to possibilities of forgiveness, transformation, and healing.

With its well-contained world building that feels ready to expand into additional tales and its lovingly-depicted details of all things mothy, mossy, and sparkly, (stars described as cinnamon!) Moth Dust is a magical invitation to look closer at one's surroundings and at one another's beauty. And if this doesn't inspire a generation of moth enthusiasts, I'll eat my hat (like a moth...?)

[Maryann · Rating 4 out of 5]

delightful and whimsical

The illustrations were my favorite part—I’m glad there were so many! And the cover is stunning. I’ve never googled so many moths!

[Whitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an adorable story. It has a similar feel as James and the Giant Peach. Whimsical and magical and perfect for all ages 🐛

[Megan Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a sweet and whimsical YA/middle-grade story! I loved this story's fairytale vibes and adored the illustrations the author made herself.

If you like Thumbelina and Fern Gully, you'll love this novel!

[Katehz · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a pleasure it is to finally write a review for this precious book! I’ve followed Bridget on Instagram for years - admiring her work, and being inspired by her whimsical, poetic creativity. I was overjoyed to get my hands on this book, and I dearly look forward to reading it again - with my children someday. This is a pure, sweet, magical, wholesome jaunt. It will inspire you to reconnect with your inner child, and it will remind you to never lose your wonder, and that “growing up” doesn’t mean that you stop playing and dreaming (I aspire to be like Gran when I’m old). This is a beautiful achievement for Bridget, and if you’re reading this - congratulations! Thank you for being true to yourself and persevering to bring this story into the light. This book is a crystal-crusted, glittering dust-sprinkled, mushroom-dotted blessing 🩷

[Anna Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was like a warm hug, like sipping tea by the fireplace after you’ve been out in the rain. It was the most wholesome thing I’ve read in a long while, so full to the brim with whimsy and magic. Flora’s light is contagious, you can’t help but smile through all her discoveries and adventures with her sweet friends. It made me laugh, it made me cry - it was beautiful (especially with all the detailed illustrations along the way!!) If you’re looking for a heartfelt read that will reconnect you to your inner child, 10/10 would recommend😌🧚🤍✨

[⋆❩ Jacquelyn ❨⋆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝑆ℎ𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑑’𝑠 𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑐, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑜𝑎𝑘 𝑢𝑝 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑡𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑜𝑛 ℎ𝑒𝑟, 𝑔𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑡 𝑖𝑛 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑑𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑎𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑐.”

~ 𝐹𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑎 𝐶𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑎 𝑁𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ


“In a way, Flora is a bit of a sister to you; she took up so much of my brain during your childhood. I hope one day you’ll appreciate why your mother was so obsessed with moths.”

- Bridget Beth Collins

[Megan Flaherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is full of magic! Flora and her friends feel real. I could meet them in the forest and eat berries and drink tea with them. And the artwork is gorgeous! I had to flip through the book after I was done and just appreciate the art

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet fairytale for young readers.

[Haley T · Rating 5 out of 5]

From my nine year old “it was probably the best book I’ve ever read. I wish it was longer.”

[Nadine - Tales Beneath The Trees · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moth Dust was such a cute book! It was a beautiful whimsical journey 💖

What to expect:
🌸 Found Family
🌿 Transformation
🌸 Whimsical themes
🌿 Light v Darkness
🌸 Learning to use powers
🌿 Overcoming Loss
🌸 Third person pov
🌿 Illustrations
🌸 Mystery
🌿 Magic

[Davonna Juroe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Dreamy, Magical Adventure Tale for Fantasy Lovers of All Ages!

Once in a while, a book comes along with the ability to transport you into an enchanted world. I recently had the privilege of reading Bridget Collins’ (Flora Forager) debut fantasy middle-grade novel, “Moth Dust”, and I’ve never felt more carried away into such a beautiful, almost Midsummer-Night’s-Dream-like forest setting with wonderful characters.

Flora, a spunky girl who loves foraging and has all the gumption and spirit of Anne of Green Gables, lives in the very magical woods of Silkwood Forest. Having lost her parents at a young age, Flora lives with her Gran in a fairytale-like cottage deep among the trees.

Her Gran, who has mysterious and magical weaving/spinning powers, loves to tell Flora old legends about the Moth Fairies who once used to call the forest their home. However, Flora becomes curious about these stories, as some of them feel like they might have really happened.

In a strange turn of events, Flora’s Gran goes missing, and a peculiar woman shows up and takes Flora to a nearby textile mill, which seems to hold many secrets, including answers to Flora’s past.

But all is not what it seems at the mill. Upon arriving, Flora meets other orphans who work at the mill, but the children seem to be held under a spell, a spell Flora is beginning to feel swayed by herself. Through new-found friendship and magic, Flora and her friends must break free and escape from the mill and unlock the mystery and secrets of her family’s past before the wicked, magical forces of Silkwood Forest and those at the mill close in on the children.

If you are a nature/cottagecore lover and enjoy 1980s and 90s animated films like “FernGully”, “Thumbelina”, and “The Secret of NIHM”–as well as plucky characters like Anne of Green Gables–you will love this book.

Collins is a masterful storyteller, whose voice and style harken back to classic British children’s literature. This is the perfect novel to cozy up with with a cup of tea and forget the troubles of the outside world. Moreover, Collins’ sparkly illustrations will pull you into a magically webbed dreamscape that you’ll never want to leave. Truly destined to be the next fairy-tale classic, this was one of my absolute favorite fantasy reads of the year.