The Wood at Midwinter

Clarke, the Hugo Award–winning author of the beloved Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories, and Piranesi, which won the Women’s Prize for Fiction, returns with a short story set in the world of Jonathan Strange. It features Merowdis Scot, who finds herself at a crossroad between desire and magical possibility. The story is brief, but what Clarke does well—conjure mood through evocative language and story suggestion—is on rich display. Highly atmospheric, this winter tale is set in a wood and navigates the line between a Grimms’ fairy tale and a feminist manifesto. Talking animals as well as a sentient tree all play a role, as Merowdis decides what she wants and somehow makes it so. The story is illustrated with pen and ink drawings and specially designed text, giving the entire package the feeling of a manuscript found in a castle on the edge of some wild moor. Don’t miss Clarke’s note at the end.