My Favorite Fantasy Book

I loved The Ropemaker the first time I read it back in High School. I had never heard of Peter Dickinson before, but I had read a few books by his wife, Robin McKinley. The school librarian thought I’d like this book, and boy was she right. The writing is evocative and elegant. It’s a coming of age story, but  

Its about this valley, far to the north. It’s a nice cozy place, cut off from the rest of the world. There’s a powerful magic that protects it from the outside world, but slowly, its beginning to fail. Its up to Tilja and Tahl to go south, find a powerful wizard to restore the magic.   It’s a simple premise, but I got absorbed into the world, into the book. I felt like Tilja’s grandmother was very much like my own grandmother. When someone got hurt, I felt like I was actually there with them. 

It’s a simple journey that the characters go on, they venture to new lands, meet new peoples, new cultures. It is not unlike the Hobbit. This book is also the main reason I began using wooden spoons in the kitchen. To understand this statement, you just have to read the book!