Hope In The Dark

In Darkling Wood by Emma Carroll is a wonderful children’s dual timeline novel that will enchant the reader. It is perfect for ages ten and over.

The novel is set in present day and 1918 in the form of a series of letters. In both time periods there are sisters waiting for news of brothers – one is at war, the other in hospital. It is a tense time as the waiting seems to take an eternity.

Darkling Wood unites both time periods as the characters live in the same house united by their bloodline. Darkling Wood is rumored to be inhabited by fairies – but surely that cannot be true.

We witness the difficulty of fitting into a new school as one’s peers seem to be a close-knit group. A bond formed with a like-minded character helps to sustain.

There is a fractured family within the story. Rifts formed over two decades have formed a huge chasm that needs bridging.

An attic room is off limits but holds some surprising secrets.

There is the difficult topic of transplants seen from both the donor and recipient. We see how hard it is to wait for hope in the dark.

All the characters were well drawn and likable, and easy to empathise with.

I thoroughly enjoyed In Darkling Wood. It was a beautiful, enchanting and engaging novel.

JULIA WILSON