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Maiden of the Mist: A Legend of Niagara Falls

by Veronika Martenova Charles

Making a human sacrifice legend palatable for children is a daunting task, made even more challenging if the sacrificial victim is also the story’s protagonist. But in Maiden of the Mist Veronika Martenova Charles meets this challenge, successfully combining the flavour of the original traditional Iroquois tale with contemporary readers’ expectations of a strong heroine. As in her most recent picture book, Stretch, Swallow, Stare, Charles’s retelling focuses on the heroine’s strength of character and the action she takes to save her community. In an author’s note that’s particularly useful for educators, she describes the history of the legend and how her version differs, situating herself as one of many non-native tellers of this tale. Charles has managed to retain the oral feel of the story in her written narrative, although the occasional phrase, such as “in two moons’ time,” has a hackneyed ring.

Lelawala is the “Maiden of the Mist,” the chief’s daughter who volunteers to sacrifice herself in order to appease Hinu, the river god. After Lelawala canoes over Niagara Falls, she awakens in the cave of Hinu’s son. When Lelawala agrees to marry him, he reveals that it is not Hinu who is causing the villagers’ sickness, but a horned snake that is poisoning the river. Lelawala appears to her father in a dream to convey how this snake could be killed. When the villagers slay the monster, its body becomes trapped at the top of the waterfall, moving into the familiar “bent bow” shape. The exciting drama of Lelawala’s trip over the falls, and the engaging and realistic illustrations that show Charles’s careful research, will keep young readers’ interest.

 

Reviewer: Laurie Mcneill

Publisher: Stoddart Kids

DETAILS

Price: $17.95

Page Count: 32 pp

Format: Cloth

ISBN: 0-7737-3297-7

Released: May

Issue Date: 2001-5

Categories: Picture Books

Age Range: ages 4-8