Catmull, Katherine. The Radiant Road. 368p. ebook available. Dutton. Jan. 2016. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780525953470.

Gr 7 Up –After Clare Macleod’s mother died, Clare and her geologist father traveled the world, their grief never allowing them to settle and put down roots. But after nine years, they are returning to their home in Ireland—a strange and wondrous house built inside an ancient yew tree that Clare has never quite forgotten, even though she hasn’t seen it since she was five. Clare soon discovers that she comes from a long line of mothers and daughters who lived inside that tree and had deep ties to the fairy world. At first skeptical and suspicious of her new surroundings, Clare soon finds herself drawn into the dark and bright magic of Ireland. When she meets the mysterious and (somehow familiar) Finn, her past catches up with her, and she finds herself embroiled in an epic struggle between good and evil, which may very well end in an eternal schism between the world of mortals and the world of fairies—a separation that would be disastrous to both. In lovely lyrical writing, Catmull, author of Summer and Bird (Dutton, 2012), creates an unforgettable tale that begins slowly and gently, gradually and inevitably leading to a thundering crescendo. VERDICT This is a haunting novel that contains all the darkness and light of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.–Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Public Library, AK

This review was published in the School Library Journal December 2015 issue.