Franny Billingsley
The Folk Keeper
Corinna is a Folk Keeper. Her job is to keep the mysterious Folk who live beneath the ground at bay. But Corinna has a secret that even she doesn’t fully comprehend, until she agrees to serve as Folk Keeper at Marblehaught Park, a wealthy family’s seaside manor. There her hidden powers burst into full force, and Corinna’s life changes forever…
Critical Acclaim
Reviews
“Breathtakingly imaginative, with an earthy magic that grounds it in passion, this is sophisticated fantasy from a powerful pen.” –The Bulletin, Big Picture Review
“The author’s ear for language, her use of classic motifs and her stalwart heroine make this novel an evocative, unforgettable read.” – Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“The telling is immediate and compelling, and there is a decided sense of impending menace, especially when Corinna is trapped in the underground caves. A memorable story.” –Booklist, Starred Review
“Readers who relish a rich fantasy will devour this coming-of-age story” –School Library Journal, Starred Review
“Once in a blue moon someone writes a splendidly original fantasy, one that haunts us like an indelible dream.” –The Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Committee
“[A] new tale, artfully plotted and melodically written . . . There's poetry not only in the style but also in the story elements themselves.” – Betsy Hearne, New York Times Book Review
Awards
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Booklist Top Ten First Novels for Youth
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Anne Spencer Lindbergh Prize honor book (best fantasy written in the English Language, 1997-8)
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School Library Journal “Sleeper”: 100 Books Too Good to Miss
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Chicago Public Library, Best of the Best 1997, Stories for Older Readers
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Utah Children’s Book Award, 2000-2001
Excerpt
It is a day of yellow fog, and the Folk are hungry. They ate the lamb I brought them, picking the bones clean and leaving them outside the Folk Door.
The lamb was meant for Matron's Sunday supper. She'll know I took it, but she will not dare say anything. She can keep her tapestries and silks and Sunday dinners. Here, in the Cellar, I control the Folk. Here, I am queen of the world.