Swept Away

7/30/2018

Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier

You made my heart wake up

Welcome to the world of Victorian England’s chimney sweeps. Jonathan Auxier has created a tale that is part historical fiction, part fantasy, part social commentary, and pure magic.
Nan Sparrow has only known life as a chimney sweep. From infancy she was nurtured by a man she calls the Sweep. Together they did more than simply survive a grubby, demanding life of toil and deprivation. Instead he taught Nan to find joy in what others might deem a joyless existence.

The Sweep had never understood how a person could sleep through the sunrise. 'It's like Heaven itself is offering you a gift you're too lazy to open,' he used to say. Then he'd wink and add, 'Ah, well. More for us.'

One night the Sweep disappears. Nan is left companionless, stranded in a cruel existence of climbing through gritty chimney flues. Bullied and browbeaten by her pompous, evil overseer, Master Crudd, Nan soldiers on with the few meager items bequeathed to her: the Sweep’s hat and a small chunk of char.
Then a miracle occurs. Nan becomes trapped in a cramped flu. A conniving chimney sweep sets a match to the bottom of the chimney, causing a huge explosion. Nan is painfully expelled to the rooftop and in the process, the lump of soot comes to life.

And yet, here in the dusty crawl space, she held a miracle in her hands.

She names this sooty lump Charlie. Perhaps he is a monster, or maybe a Golem. Nan is not sure. Whatever. It becomes evident to her that there is a purpose to his existence. Her destiny is entwined with his.

"A sage or rabbi-- that is, a Jewish priest— forms a body out of mud or clay and then brings the creature to life with a sort of magic word called a Shem"...
"In your stories, why did the rabbi make his golem?"
"Why does a person create anything? Out of necessity... The golem is made to help people who fear for their lives.”

Auxier's storytelling abilities excel in this fantasy filled with richly-drawn characters. Nan, Charlie, as well as her friends and foes, are painted with deft strokes. Like the lump of char, they come to life through his dexterous prose.
The premise of a Golem is intriguing. The story thread maintains its tension until the tale reaches its inevitable conclusion. Auxier manages to weave the realities of life for the poor and under-privileged into a saga of wonder and magic. It is a story of pain and death, sorrow and disappointment, redemption and possibility, enchantment and wonder. It is a tale to read again and again. There is magic infused into each paragraph, each chapter. Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster is destined to be a timeless classic.

Stories to Tell. Stories to Share.

It is an ancient need to be told in stories. But the story needs a great storyteller. Alan Rickman

I distinctly recall attending a book launch at Books of Wonder for debut author Jonathan Auxier. I can still picture the jacket he wore and his demeanor as he cradled his very first book in his hands and described the premise for Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes. I was enchanted. From that day forward, I believed that he would go on to create more magical characters and compelling adventures. My belief has become a reality. Thanks Mr. Auxier, for filling my soul with story soup.

Sometimes on nights when there was no food to eat, the girl and her Sweep used to make Story soup. The girl would fill her pockets with trash she found on the streets - scraps of paper or trampled strings or bits of colored glass. At the end of the day, she would present these things to The Sweep. “Make Story soup!” she would tell him.’
”Oh-ho!” The Sweep would always exclaim, rubbing his belly with both hands. ‘You’ve brought us ingredients for a right feast!’

Have you noticed that all Auxier book covers feature silhouettes set against a richly variegated sky? Each story is a beautifully wrapped gift. Each is an enticing invitation to enter the fantastical worlds of Jonathan Auxier.