Looking into the world from Beyond the Veil and the folklore that surrounds it.
Part 9.
To my dearest friends and followers,
Today is the ninth week that I will be discussing and analyzing my novel, The Story of Hollyhocks (Tales from Beyond the Veil book 1). In case anyone has not read the previous 8 posts, you can do so my clicking on the Archive on the right panel of the blog if you are viewing from the desktop version, or by clicking here if you are using a mobile device, and beginning with the article published on September 3rd, 2020.
Today I will be going over chapters 32-35. Next week, I will be finishing this series with chapters 36-39!!
Chapters 32 and 33 both focus on the state of depression that Hollyhocks enters (a result of the events told in chapters 30 and 31). She, JuJuBee, and Shaylee journey back from London, traveling through familiar places, such as Stony Stratford (where the characters lodged in chapter 15), and Northampton (see also chapter 15). The end of chapter 33 sees the characters arriving back at the Forest. Hollyhocks is hesitant to return home as she struggles to feel like she belongs anywhere, after experiencing an adventure beyond anything she could ever have imagined.
Shaylee is a pillywiggin (a flower fairy) and hibernates during the colder seasons. We learn that summer is nearly over, and autumn is approaching fast, giving way to the bitter cold winter that is sure to come. While Shaylee grows more and more sleepy, JuJuBee really steps up and becomes the good friend that I think we've been wanting her to be. She comforts Hollyhocks and offers wisdom in this dark time. The chapter ends with JuJuBee accompanying Hollyhocks as she is about to return to her parents after having been away for so long.
Chapter 34 picks up several months later, with winter already upon them. We see a glimpse of what the autumn was like while also seeing for the first time how the sprite's magic works while they painted their world in the colors of fall. Hollyhocks's negative energy affects how the leaves turn out, causing them to die, rather than painting them in vibrant hues.
We then see a flashback of when Hollyhocks and JuJuBee first arrived back at Hollyhocks's home. Her parents welcome her, telling her though they missed her, they were not worried about her, for the unicorn (Anlon) had told them she would return.
We are then taken back to the present day (winter with snow upon the ground). Hollyhocks is alone in the Forest and views the world as dull and gray, which greatly contrasts her views in the first 29 chapters of the book. At last she is met by Anlon. She feels that he is empathetic toward her and hears the word hope in the wind, much in the same way that Edward heard the name Anlon in chapter 17. She follows him as he runs deeper into the Forest, convinced that the unicorn has more to tell her, but loses track of him several times through the snow falling. Hours have passed and she is tired, but before she can turn back, she collides with someone.
In the 35th chapter, we meet the cocky, yet charming Jack Frost. The two realize they have met before (see chapter 3). Jack Frost acts as a light for Hollyhocks, with the narrator telling us, Despite his pompous demeanor, his smile was oddly attractive and she found it contagious. How strange it felt to smile again. Jack is very observant and while Hollyhocks tells him briefly why she is sad, he quickly fills in the blanks, narrowing down exactly how she feels. She is alarmed by this, but continues to answer his probing questions. The chapter ends with Jack revealing a great secret about himself...
Thank you so much for reading!!
Yours truly,
Me
Additional:
(A new revised version will be available for purchase in December 2020).
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