A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger
Little Badger has done it again: creating another storytelling marvel. Seemingly unconnected narratives spanning over eight years and alternating between two distinctive worlds are magically woven together. Cottonmouth snake Oli lives in the Reflecting World, home of spirits and monsters. He is devastated when his friend Ami, a small spotted toad, disappears. Oli recruits three spirit animals who can assume human form to help him search for Ami who is gravely ill and faces possible extinction. The companions leave the Reflecting World and "fall" to Earth, hoping to locate and save one small toad. On Earth, sixteen-year-old Nina is puzzled by comments made by her Great-Great-Grandma Rosita and seeks answers from her Grandma. Both women are an enigma. Why do animals mysteriously recover in Grandma’s presence? What accounts for Rosita’s unusually long life? |
Extraordinary forces are at work here: the ability to shape nature and the overarching power of love. A Snake Falls to Earth, a 2021 National Book Award longlist selection, is a fascinating tale and a literary masterpiece.