Thistlemarsh

DEBUT Returning from service as a battlefield nurse during World War I, Mouse arrives at her village, which has been hit hard by the conflict. She has inherited Thistlemarsh Hall, a crumbling estate soaked in historic faerie lore, where she hopes to house her severely shell-shocked brother. She must fix up the estate before a month is out or else forfeit it to her evil cousin Carlyle. As her efforts wane, Mouse stumbles upon Thornwood, a long-dormant faerie lord who promises to fix the estate—for a price. Corrigan skillfully creates a world that balances the harsh realities of the Great War with the existence of ruthless yet whimsical faeries. Readers will lose themselves in dreamy prose and a cozy narrative built on Mouse and Thornwood’s banter-filled reluctant partnership, while unwittingly approaching a decidedly grimmer story of brewing tensions that culminate in a standoff. The book feels both comfortingly familiar and refreshingly unique, much like the fairy tales sprinkled throughout.