Engaging and spooky

Novel of the week is A Curse Dark as Gold, by Elizabeth C. Bunce. This retelling of the story Rumpelstiltskin is told in first-person by the miller's daughter. In a small English town in the late 18th century, the mill is plagued by bad luck: accidents, breakdowns, and inexplicable 'refusals' to stay in good repair. The townsfolk have many superstitions, lore, and simples to try to combat ill luck and danger. The traditions and lore seemed to be empty superstitions at first, but as the story progressed, it became evident that the practices and perceptions were tied to historical events. And those historical events were genuinely spooky! Charlotte Miller was searching for long-buried secrets from the past which would explain the mill's curse and allow her a chance to set things right. The melding of folklore with magic was the hook for me, as it had been also in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It's as though the oral traditions are another form of myth, striving to express truth through symbolism and fiction.