Kingfisher Days

by Susan Coyne

A magical tale of friendship and wonder -- the perfect gift for the imaginative child in all of us. One summer, in a hedge near her family's cottage in Kenora, five-year-old Susan Coyne discovered an overgrown stone fireplace. Her father said it was the home of Uncle Joe Spondoolak, an elf who'd moved in after the cottage had burned down long ago. Susan, a fanciful child, decided to become keeper of the hearth, tidying it up and leaving little gifts for the handfuls of wild strawberries, daisy chains, a tiny birchbark canoe. Overnight the gifts would disappear. One morning, there was a tiny piece of carefully folded pink paper wedged in between the mossy stones. To Helen Susan Cameron GreetingsHer Majesty, Queen Mab, has instructed me to thank you for making a home for all her people. Thus began Susan's correspondence with a precocious young fairy princess, Nootsie Tah, and her indoctrination into the world of the great and little people. Susan took the letter next door to Mr. Moir, because he knew all sorts of interesting things. Sure enough, he had an entire library filled with books about characters such as Puck, Ariel and Oberon. The letters from Nootsie Tah continued, and that summer Susan developed two unique one with a proud princess from a mystical land, and the other with a gentle gardener with infinite wisdom and patience. These would sustain her throughout her life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Canada, Biography Memoir, Childrens

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book that once again made me think that I'd be willing to do my job for free! (Don't let Sharon read that...Oops. Too late.) Anyway, although it may not have caught my eye in a bookstore or library, this slight book came across my work area and enchanted me. It tells about a 5-year-old girl (the author) and the summer she corresponded with a fairy princess, thanks to an imaginative neighbor. This would be perfect bedtime story reading with a little girl of just the right age. Does anyone have a little girl I can borrow?

[Claire Southgate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn’t normally pick up this book, but it is a memoir that takes place in a quaint town where I spend my summers. A short and sweet read evoking a happy, simpler time when Coyne was 5 and exchanged letters with fairy princesses. The story reminded me so much of my mom and her telling of her relationship with her grandparents as a child.

[Genny MacLellan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, but I rounded up because, in the end, the author was able to draw so much meaning from the (sometimes odd?) correspondences. Even though I didn’t always follow the thread of their letters, I was delighted by all of the references to fairies in classic literary works. I also loved reading something by a Canadian author, and I loved that this story was rooted in the context of a Canadian summer.

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

... what scientists do is observe some aspect of the universe like Uncle Joe's fireplace, conduct an experiment (such as leaving gifts for the fairies), collect data (your letters) and analyse the results ... I think that any reasonable person would say there is some evidence to suggest that a fairy may indeed be living here at Lake of the Woods ... [p. 46]

An autobiographical play: as a little girl, Susan Coyne spent summers at the family's lakeside cottage. The summer she's five, she finds the ruins of an old fireplace, which her father tells her belonged to Uncle Joe Spoondoolak, who was an elf. Susan begins to leave little presents for the elves ... and one morning she finds a thank-you note from fairy princess Nootsie Tah.

Mr Moir, the neighbour who's teaching her about plants and gardening, helps her read and reply to the note, and Susan begins a correspondence with the fairy princess -- which is, of course, really a correspondence with Mr Moir himself.

I'd have liked to see this as a play. It begins with a framing narrative of adult Susan, arriving late and flustered, and softening as she remembers that long-ago summer: I think the juxtaposition of careworn adulthood and delighted, wondering childhood would be especially effective when the two Susans are played by the same actress.

It's a short sweet read, evoking a simple, happy time. It does seem, even within the play, that Susan's friendship with Mr Moir continued into adolescence, and was wholly healthy for them both: but I wonder if contemporary parents would be so trusting. (Susan's parents must have known what was going on, and taken as much delight in their daughter's own delight as Mr Moir does in the play.) The parents are peripheral here, letting Susan play and grow and create: and nobody ever tells Susan that she's being silly, or is too old for such stories.

I read this for the 'play' rubric in the Reading Women 2019 challenge. It reminded me that I find reading plays quite difficult, unless I've seen them! All the components are there, but they don't fit together as easily, for me, as a prose narrative.

[Barb Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful and beautiful book. A book to be savored and re read! The main story is about a 5 year old child who goes away for the summer with her family to a camp on a lake in Canada. She befriends her elderly neighbor and he introduces her through correspondence to the magical land of fairies.

[Darlene Karalash · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reread this book in response to a Call to Artists from The MUSE (Douglas Family Art Centre & Lake of the Woods Museum) in order to participate in a community exhibition titled Kingfisher Days: A Tale of Wonder in support of TryLight Theatre Company's upcoming stage production of Kingfisher Days in late April, in Kenora.

The story is a sort of mini-memoir, set on Coney Island in Lake of the Woods, Ontario with a focus on the summer when the author was five years old and was in correspondence with a faerie princess, receiving special encouragement from an elderly neighbouring cottager, Mr. Moir. Similarly, my husband and I were complicit in our own children's faerie world experiences--while tromping about our newly-acquired island property in LOW, looking for the best location to build the main camp, we happened upon a low-lying area, covered in velvety moss (a sure sign of dampness) and my husband whispered to our girls, "No. We can't build here. Faeries live here." This statement prompted much excitement and many faerie-tracking expeditions, at least a decade's worth.

So, I highly recommend reading Kingfisher Days when you want to return to simpler times and are in need of some nostalgia.

[Calgary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like a previous reviewer, I read this book eons ago, right when it came out. I am a third-generation cottager who has spent many decades, from birth, not far from where Susan Coyne set her delightful little novel. I was reminded of it now as I'm reading another somewhat similar Norwegian novel titled The Summer Book.

I loved the magical - to a five-year-old - appearances of the notes, and how she interpreted them. It was such a treat to go back to a time of being able to find wonderment and joy in the simplest of things, and to do it in a magical place like Lake of the Woods, where my soul still resides. The writer's style is intelligent and approachable, which adds to the appeal of the book.

Without the reader having had the experience of a summer cottage by a lake, this story might not appeal as much, but even without that history, hopefully the book evokes images for the reader of their own carefree childhood summers.

[Kat Kerns · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Themes: 👧🏼👨🏼‍🦳📜🖋️🧚‍♀️🧝🏼‍♀️🧙🏾‍♂️🍄🌷

I was intrigued by this novel when our museum posted about it on social media. I live in Kenora where the novel takes place and our local theatre is putting on a stage production of this story. I love the relationship between Susan and her elderly neighbour Mr. Moir. The time they spent together in the garden, reading together, and exploring reminded me of my special times spent with my grandfather at our family cottage. I loved what Mr. Moir did that summer and think it is such a great memory. However, I did find the letters from the fairies to be incredibly hard to connect with. I understand they are the original letters and the style was not that of the author’s, but I just didn’t enjoy them as much as I had really hoped for. I do hope our theatre group can bring them to life and do the memories justice.

[Nancy Gillies · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best word to describe Kingfisher Days is charming. The story of young Susan and her enchanted summer corresponding with the fairy princess who lives in an old stone fireplace near her cottage at the Lake of the Woods is wonderfully wistful. How fortunate it was for Susan to have a neighbour who was so kind - and so knowledgeable about the fairy world! - that he took the time to spark her very fertile imagination with his regular correspondence from the haughty fairy princess Nootsie Tah. The author evokes the charms of cottage life and the naivete of the young narrator with subtle, graceful writing. Kingfisher Days is a gem, one deserving of many re-readings.

[Bekah Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this on the recommendation of a co-worker and am so happy I did. It is a memoir about one magical summer of the author's childhood and how it shaped her as a person. I loved how the adults in Susan's life celebrated and enriched her boundless five year old's imagination. It has inspired me to strive to be more aware and easily enchanted by everyday things and to break my bad habit of constantly rushing. Just a beautiful little book.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am adding this YEARS after I read it. This book was very influential in our family. My mother bought it for me when my daughter was about 7. She's now 21. I read it aloud to her and we both enjoyed it. Then her dad pointed out that the notes to and from the fairies were quotations from Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. Let's just say that resulted in a request for a copy of the play for Christmas because my 7 year old was fascinated by the idea of a play written in poems.

[Vicki Nemeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and easy to read, about a cottage summer and a fairy's correspondence with a five year old. Early on, I didn't see much point to it. But the climax had a strong emotional effect on me. Overall, it was refreshing to see an author respect that not every Ontario family in literature has to have a gothic side. It was a realistic model of what kind of healthy environment raised this global Shakespearean actress.

A unique trait of this book is it's about a child, it doesn't mention "adult" themes, and it's easy to read, but it's probably for an adult audience.

[Andrea Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many years ago I heard parts of a story being read on radio cbc. It was fetching and magical and I spent a long time tracking down the story. Finally I have read it myself in full. This will be one of those books that will be enjoyed over and over. So much fun.

[Connie Maier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read it recently. Even though a memoir, it doesn't read like one and is told through the eyes of a her young self. Charming, delightful, speaks to the innocence of children in a beautifully fresh way.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful little book!

[Ebony · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 starts. Very sweet story.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Both a charming illustration of one child's summer of wonder and enchantment, and a snapshot of Canadian family cottage life at the time.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Recommended by a friend in another book club. Not one of my favs - a personal memoir focused on one summer when the author was five and her belief in fairies. Her belief was nurtured by an elderly neighbour with whom she corresponded thinking she was corresponding with a fairy queen, Nootsie Tah. The elderly neighbour, Mr. Moir, infused the correspondence with fairies from Shakespeare, Keats and Shelley - Oberon, Puck, Ariel, Titania - and wrote in a very mangical and mysterious style.

This memoir takes us into the cottage life in Kenora of a middle class family from Toronto, the imagination of a five year old girl, and the reality of friendships that evolve over time between different generatins.

An interesting read, just not my thing!

I do like however to read and support Canadian writers.

[Persephone · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 2000, my eight-year-old daughter started receiving notes from a fairy named Cerisia (she lived in the cherry tree out front). This charming story is also about letters from fairies, and a summertime friendship that lasts a very long time. The audio book, recorded by Susan Coyne herself (who is an actress, playwright and 1st cousin once removed of Pierre Eliot Trudeau's love child), is also a delight.

[Sandra Acacia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!
Although I didn't actually READ it. I listened to the audio book read by the author. What could be better than that? Nothing.
I was engrossed in her enthusiasm about the fairies and I truly fell in love with the elderly gentleman who lived next door at the cottage in Kenora, in northern Ontario.
Being from Ontario myself and familiar with the Niagara Escarpment made it extra special.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you remember the magic of childhood, fairy tales and never ending summers? This book will transport you back to those days and remind you how lucky we are to have those memories tucked away in the corners of our hearts. Take them out, dust them off, and then go about adding a little magic to the life of a child today.

[Cynthia Heinrichs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my go-to book for when I'm having a lousy day and I want some sweetness, but not the kind that makes my teeth ache. Princess Nootsie Tah may be a fairie, but of the piss and vinegar variety. Coyne has such perfect pitch for this tale of her childhood. I never read it without feeling lighter as a result.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this so much I bought a copy and gave it to some of my girlfriends for Ayyam-i-ha. I am reading it in my profile photo! I was delighted to find that Susan Coyne had starred in a wonderful TV series called Slings and Arrows!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a quick read. It is a book that comes full circle and leaves a little sadness in your heart. Lots of time and commitment were made for a 5 year old that helped shaped the kind of amazing person that she is today.

[Laila · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet little book.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt that this book had more promise than it delivered. It was a quick read, and inoffensive but lacked substance.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming, lovely book that captures the magic of childhood!
4.5 stars

[Cody · Rating 3 out of 5]

A joyful read attesting to the power of never growing out of being a believer in all things magical and the life long effect of fostering one's imagination.

[Andrea Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me remember the way I really feel in my heart about life. The pure joy, the magic, dreams and love. How it's all about having faith in those things. Susan Coyne's work is pure magic!

[Gillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a while to get into it but once I did I enjoyed this book. It made me want to tell my girl guide unit (the brownies) all kinds of fairy stories.