Dear Reader:
Being a grandmother, storyteller, and proponent of the recognition of all the creative, imaginative children (in our school systems) who march to the beat of a different drummer…this novel had my name written all over it. I admit, during several points in the story, I had to put the book down and reach for the kleenex. A beautiful, poignant story about the relationship between a grandmother and her seven-year-old granddaughter Elsa.
The first lines in the novel read: “Every seven-year-old deserves a superhero. That’s just how it is. Anyone who doesn’t agree needs their head examined. That’s what Elsa’s granny says at least.”
Elsa is going through a tough time in life…highly intellectual in imagination and love of words and their meanings…she struggles academically and socially at school…daily tormented by her peers. Her only friend is her grandmother…definitely a tad crazy but also Elsa’s closest confidante who understands her and loves her beyond measure.
Granny reassures Elsa to “ignore those “muppets” at school because all the best people are different. Look at superheroes. After all, if superheroes were normal, everyone would have them.”
When Elsa has had a particularly concentration-challenged day at school Granny assures her that there is nothing wrong with her…she has no problem concentrating..she just concentrates on the right things. (“Idiots can’t understand that non-idiots are already done with a thought and moving on to the next before they themselves have…that’s what makes them aggressive and jealous…nothing scares idiots more than a smart girl.”)
Her parents have just gone through a divorce, with her dad leaving the premises, and now mom is expecting another child with a new man in her life. Elsa has read on-line that sometimes children simply die in their sleep at night so she has gotten in the habit of running from her apartment to her granny’s flat where she spends the night.
She and her Granny sit on the floor in Granny’s wardrobe and wait until they, both, are almost asleep. It is then that they get to fly to the “land-of-almost-awake”- when the mists come rolling across the boundary between what you think and what you just know, that’s when you set off. “
You get to this imaginary land by riding on the backs of cloud animals…they come in Granny’s balcony and carry them both far away until Elsa can see all the magical creatures that live there; they guide her and Granny to the Kingdom of Miamas.
Granny tells Elsa that the kingdom has been named Miamas for an eternity of 10,000 fairy tales, but Elsa knows that Granny only made this up. (Elsa couldn’t say “pajamas” when she was small, so she used to say “mjamas” instead.)
Granny isn’t very good at living in the real world (too many rules) but her life in imaginary lands is quite impressive. She tells the very best fairy tales ever, and “for that Elsa can forgive quite a few character defects.”
“Miamas is Granny and Elsa’s favorite kingdom, because there storytelling is considered the noblest profession of all. The currency there is imagination; instead of buying something with coins, you buy it with a good story.
Libraries aren’t known as libraries but as “banks,” and every fairy tale is worth a fortune. Granny spends millions every night; tales full of dragons and trolls and kings and queens and witches.
And shadows. Because all imaginary worlds have to have terrible enemies, and in the ‘Land-of -Almost-Awake’ the enemies are the shadows, because they want to kill the imagination. (Wolfheart defeated the shadows in the ‘War-Without-End’. He was the first and greatest superhero of all.”)
*But one day, Granny warns the shadows will return…and Elsa must remember all the 10,000 fairy tales to beat them back into reality where they belong, so imagination can reign supreme again!
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Einstein said it best: 
Good word, Becky. I have been telling folks that come to Icthus for going on 28 years that Jesus is a 24/ 7/365;366 on leap year JESUS. Meaning that He is speaking to us every day, throughout the day, if we will put on our “God receptors. “ At any given time, there are cell, TV, radio, etc. signals passing through the place we are. Unless we have the right receptor, we have no idea what message /information is available to us.
LOVE you! So happy for Walsh and Mollie. Blessings!
TRUSTING JESUS,
Bill
Proverbs 3:5-6
http://www.icthusministries.com
Yes…He is there in every breeze,every leaf that flutters and every smile that come our way. Thank you
*I had a wonderful surprise yesterday…it started with a knock on the door and there was Stephanie Ballard holding a devil trumpet plant she had gotten at the Farmer’s Market for me with “all that jazz!”. It is exquisite! Just took a picture as the sun sank beyond the horizon. Gorgeous! It went from a limp sunken bloom to the last photo as darkness descended. I love it Stephanie and will always remember you every time I look at it.
ichaseferalcats
John Turner
Legally Ohm
Becky Dingle
Oh, I definitely want to read this one. For so long I have felt guilty for all the time I have spent daydreaming and making up stories in my head…and you just made me feel so much better. And, the idea that it is the grandmother and grandchild entices me even more. It reminds me of the the book A Long Way From Chicago….used to booktalk it at AMS.
I think one criteria for grandmothers is that they must be a little bit crazy…they make the best grandmothers of all…the ones who aren’t afraid to enter the fairy tales of their grandchildren and live there with them. This book tug at my heart-strings.
Oh! I’m so honored.
This may be a book I need to look up. My first thoughts…Cobweb. She fits the part of the grandmother just about perfectly. I wish I could tell stories like this but some of my imagination seems to have left me .
The new flower is grand. I do hope it takes hold and comes back year after year.