📖 A Girl Who Drank The Moon by Kelly Barnhill

Kelly Barnhill delves into essential themes within 'A Girl Who Drank The Moon,' shedding light on the complex choices humans make for survival driven by fear, loyalty, sorrow, and self-preservation. Throughout this captivating tale, the profound impact of these choices and their outcomes is unveiled, illustrating how resilience and kindness can triumph over even the most formidable challenges.

Fear

The book opens with a parent narrating the reason behind The Day of Sacrifice to their child. Declaring that there is a witch in the forest who no one has ever seen but she wants the sacrifice of a child each year on The Day of Sacrifice. This is the only way the city will stay protected from the witch.

Fear remains a recurring theme throughout the book. The inhabitants of Protectorate, known as the City of Sorrows, have endured a life overshadowed by fear of the day of sacrifice. The city choses the youngest born child for the sacrifice and families give away their child to protect the city for an entire year. Fear is also seen among the people who do not question the Council of Elders who execute the procession of the day of sacrifice. People live in fear of a witch who has never been seen. Sacrifice a child who for all they know is killed by the witch. No one ever checks upon the child after it has been left in the forest.

Fear which is such a common theme in our lives is being normalized by the author. Because where there is fear there is birth of courageous individuals who take risks to find answers and find solution to the problem at hand. Bravery emerges as the guiding light through Fear!

Love and Family

Xan, the witch from the forest, Glerk, the swamp monster, and Fyrian, a tiny dragon, live together as a family. Have been together for over 500 years possibly. Xan doesn't harm the children that are left in the woods on the day of sacrifice. In fact, she rescues them and takes them to the free cities where these kids get adopted into good families. Xan feeds the children starlight to keep their tummies full as the journey to the free cities is long and strenuous. This starlight gives the children magic powers. These kind children grow up to use their powers for the better of the society. Xan is a beloved and welcomed member of the free cities.

"Heart is infinite. Love is boundless. It expands the more you spread it. Love doesn’t get divided. It multiplies."

Either we are born into families or we chose our family in the absence of one. The author explores both these kinds of families and the ties that share immense love. Both these families are beautifully flawed including members with diverse personality traits. But love brings us all together.

Sorrow

Protectorate gives up a new born every year on the day of the sacrifice. This loss of a new born has been felt by many families over the years and is a day that everyone dreads. Sorrow is felt by one and all. So much so that Protectorate is called as the City of Sorrows. Dark clouds seem to loom over the city. Sorrow can kill you, however, hope has the potential to heal a sorrowful heart. Xan tells this to Luna constantly. Xan does everything in her power to keep Luna away from any kind of sorrow, knowing full well the power it has over people.

By using Luna's mother as an example of immense sorrow that drives her to madness, the author depicts the impact of sorrow on an individuals life. It is relatable. We all have felt sorrow in our lives and this book empathizes with the feelings and circumstances of people. Sorrow is a sensitive topic but through her storytelling the author has expressed the pain that sorrow can cause and how we should still hold on to hope to get through this pain on the other side. The author concedes that change is inevitable and that circumstances might never revert to their original state. Nonetheless, the love people harbor for you remains steadfast, unaffected even in the presence of sorrow.

Knowledge

The Sister of the Star comprises a group of female soldiers responsible for upholding order in the Protectorate. Sister Ignatia is the head sister of the sister of the star. The sisters are taught multiple skills to keep them useful and relevant. However, she has a restricted section of the library. Knowledge which is available but not to the public. The restricted material contains information about magic and the past among other facts about the surrounds that Protectorate exists in. The author has shown the consequence of hoarding knowledge on Sister Ignatia (I do not wish to give away the end).

“Knowledge is powerful, but it is a terrible power when it is hoarded and hidden.”

The above sentence from the book resonated deeply with me. We all gather knowledge throughout our lives but don't share it freely, for multiple reasons, but it is such a terrible power when it is hoarded and hidden. People will still acquire the knowledge you have but if you had shared your knowledge you would have the chance to grow rather than stagnate.

Integrity

Antain, a young idealistic man, has tried to live authentically. He joins the Council of Elders and is being trained by his Uncle Gherland, who is also the Grand Elder. The day of sacrifice doesn't agree with Antain. He questions it, tries to stop it, and investigates it. He resigns from his post as soon as he accepts that the Council of Elders will not change their ways. He moves on to pursue his passion which is carpentry. His pursuit leads him to become a wealthy business.

Live your truth. Use your heart and mind as a compass to guide you. It's impossible to please everyone. It's essential to remain faithful to yourself and your convictions. This will enable you to attract people who appreciate you and repel those whose beliefs diverge. The author has wonderfully depicted how each character is true to their value system and either reaps benefits or suffers the consequences.

In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It is a good bed time read. However, I must forewarn you that putting down this book becomes quite a challenge. Wishing you an enjoyable reading experience!