In the Land of Winter

by Richard Grant, Grant R.

Losing custody of her daughter after she is attacked by right-winged gossips, self-proclaimed witch Pippa finds herself homeless, jobless, and friendless and begins a journey to reclaim her power and transform her life. 25,000 first printing.

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Witches, Paganism, Contemporary

340 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

RICHARD GRANT was born in Norfolk in 1952, attended the University of Virginia, and served in the U.S. Coast Guard. He lives in Rockport, Maine, where he has been a contributing editor of Down East magazine, chaired the literature panel of the Maine Arts Commission, and won a New England Journalism Award for his column in the Camden Herald.

After a 20-year career writing science fiction and fantasy, he turned to historical fiction.

Reviews

[Michele · Rating 1 out of 5]

I grabbed this off library shelf not knowing anything about it. I liked that the witch was only a witch because she said she was (i.e., no silly magic) and so that to me added to the overall theme of freedom of religion and the intolerance of others based on fear/ignorance (which I liked.) The writing was mediocre with far too many cutesy similes and metaphors (it seemed every action or description was described with some form of "as though it was..." and this became quite annoying to me).
I enjoyed the plot in spurts only.

[Catherine Philhower · Rating 4 out of 5]

"In the Land of Winter" is a magical read, replete with a fascinating cast - witches and werewolves alongside the very religious and sometimes hysterical - and an enchanting setting.
Pippa Rede is a modern day wiccan who works at a local florist shop and lives quietly with her disapproving aunt and her beloved daughter Winterbelle. Life is good, if not exactly exciting, until the day the authorities snatch Winterbelle - witch hunts are not strictly in the past! - Pippa loses her job, and then her home. A very unusual cast of characters comes to her aid, and Pippa finds herself not only opening up to them but also delving deeper into her own witchy side.
I so enjoyed the blend of fantasy and realism, and the writing is magical. Highly recommend this novel!

[Davy · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is something so familiar about Grant's writing--I dare not call it "ordinary," but that's not far off, and it's not an insult. His subjects are often quite bizarre; there is no shortage of magic, oodles of witchcraft, and occultism galore, but there are also small towns and fake plant stores. I remember this story with more fondness than its predecessor, but perhaps that is due to the context in which it was read: in a bare-ass dorm room, on a bare-ass mattress, the day after the last final of my freshman year in college, waiting on my ride back to Macon, where I would spend summer break. A delicious memory.

[Junoimelda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the same world as Tex and Molly in the Afterlife. Definitely less grand in scope as some of his other books, and a little less satisfying for that reason. The plot resolution is a little bit overly simplistic. I *love* that R.G.'s main character in this book is so terribly awkward and not really heroic in any traditional sense - and yet, I was rooting for her the whole time. Great Pagan death and rebirth themes here, strength in adversity, etc. "the night is darkest before the dawn" and all that. A great read for the Winter Solstice/Christmas/What Have You season, especially if you are feeling blue.

[Roy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a terrible book, but a certain event takes place early in that's not terribly realistic, which was really off-putting. Otherwise, the story was decent. Sometimes the author gets carried away with flowery language, so I'd sometimes skip a few paragraphs here and there. I liked that the book was ambiguous about whether magic was real or not. There's one instant of real magic that dispels this ambiguity. The novel would be better without it, and it honestly adds very little for it to be left in.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I re-read this one every year, too. I'm not sure what it is that attracts me to this book. I am attached to the characters, that's for sure. (Why are there so few books written about devoted mothers?) But I think it's the ultimate "fairy tale" way the author ends the book. It leaves me with a nice feeling inside.

[Karen Munroe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once again, I see a lot of attempts to channel Tom Robbins, without that much success. Imitation is NOT the best form of flattery when done ineffectively. An interesting read, just ditracted because of my constant recognition of the disparity between the two authors, when I sense that Grant may be trying, either knowingly or not, to capture the spirit of Robbins.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the book, although the underlying message to me was that the book should serve as a cautionary tale against being openly different against mainstream society and that's a subject that always leaves me feeling a little down.

[Geoff Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upon rereading, a superlative book. Grant's most down-to-earth of his 80s and 90s books. Pippa, the main character, is the most realized person he's written.

Everything works in this book: the setting, the humor, the pathos, the pain, and the struggle. Highly recommended.

[Laura Jefferson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Pippa, and it was a good, weird story.

[BP Blakley · Rating 5 out of 5]

a surprising, and quite wonderful book

[Claire Winkler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I should start by saying that I LOVE Richard Grant. Rumors of Spring is one of my favorite books, and even when he writes something so weird (lookin at YOU, Saraband of Lost Time) that it sails right over my head and I have to read it TWICE because I thought I missed something and it goes over my head a second time, although at a more leisurely clip I still love his writing and when I found out that he wrote a couple more books in the 90's I almost literally ran to my local bookstore (shoutout Malaprops) to special order it. This was in late Summer and I decided that I would hold off on reading it until the weather got frosty and I'm very glad I did, because Grant's gift as a writer is that he can create sensory details of the environment that really put you inside the scene. When he describes a forest you smell the pine needles, and hear the birds gossipping. He's masterful that way and this was a perfect fireside book for a somber winter's evening. It's a story about a young mother, Pippa, who identifies as a witch, but hasn't yet learned to own it, or much of anything else for that matter. She finds herself a target for some local small town fundamentalists and has to find the strength to fight, for the first time in her life, or lose the only joy she has in her humble life, custody of her precocious daughter, Winterbelle. It's an intimate story, and ever so timely given the latest wave of religious fanaticism and self righteous finger pointing at vulnerable people like our heroine Pippa. It is a frustrating read at times, but also quite funny and genuinely magical too. I love that Grant is able to portray female characters with empathy and plausability, butI would love to have seen some Queer representation in this story, given the unothodoxy of the Pagan characters but it's a minor quibble. I would have loved the book more if the ending didn't feel rushed and a bit too 'made for T.V. movie' but the tone set with the gorgeous Winter landscape still made it a delightful read.

[Daryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pippa Rede is a witch. But not the fantasy kind that casts spells and does magic. More the Wiccan kind who believes in herbs and the "magic" of the everyday world. Just as I'd gotten used to this book not being a fantasy, though it veered close to but never quite all the way into magical realism territory, up pops a character who is a traditional fantasy trope. However, this is never explained or even dealt with, and I felt the character was completely unnecessary to the overall plot (and, in fact, vanishes from the book fairly quickly). I understand Grant has written other books in the same milieu and with some of the same characters, so maybe this makes sense in the larger picture, but in this book, not so much. I liked most of this book, although I never got really involved in it. There are some interesting characters and situations (though some of the dialogue is really stretched), but about 3/4 of the way through, the novel takes a weird and unexpected turn. It doesn't really ring true, and feels like Grant was unsure of what to do next. The ending wraps things up way too neatly, quickly, and conveniently. In other words, I didn't believe it. Overall not bad, but not all that good.

[Lynn Lassen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pippa is experiencing the worst possible Christmas: false accusations that result in Family Services seizing her daughter, then she gets fired, AND evicted. While her situation weeps tragic, the zany characters provide an undercurrent of humor. Grants' writing style pulls one emotionally into the fray, resulting in laughter and tears. Pippa's travails end in triumph despite the narrow minded judgement against her. Yet these very calamaties push Pippa to the edge of rational consciousness where she stands at the edge of Mystery. 'Pippa shook the strap, ringing the bell again. The beautiful note seemed to shatter the present into pieces, multiple facets of reality, as though Time itself were made of ice.'

[Suanne Laqueur · Rating 3 out of 5]

A modern-day fairy tale with all the usual characters: heroines and heros, prince charmings, fairy godmothers, wicked witches, elves and fairies. OK, it gets “out-there” at times. Like with the werewolf, you’re asked to believe in something you wouldn’t necessarily. But, hey, it could happen…In this day and age, witch hunts take on all sorts of disguises.

[Jeani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look at "modern witches"

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite little novels - quick read, and for whatever reason totally captured me.

[Cyndi · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book was VERY slow. all the plot took place in the last 30 pages. it had some good ideas, but it just took way to long to get to them.

[Ramona Gault · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tender, touching tale of redemption and magic. One of my top favorites.

[Trudy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bookworms - October 1998

[Mellodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book more for the story line than the style. There was much food for thought with regard to freedom of religion in the US and parenting styles as well as inter familial relationships.

[Normandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book several years ago and I still have it. I can not seem to part with it.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this book!