Hi! This is my third post of these wonderful memes. The book I’ll be be writing about today is Egg and Spoon by Gregory Mcguire. Its a historical fiction, fantasy book that I recently found. I’m currently listening to the audiobook version of this book and really enjoying it. It is very well done and the narration is quite good.
Egg and Spoon by Gregory Maguire
Here’s the Goodreads synopsis:
A fantasy set in Tsarist Russia.
Elena Rudina lives in the impoverished Russian countryside. Her father has been dead for years. One of her brothers has been conscripted into the Tsar’s army, the other taken as a servant in the house of the local landowner. Her mother is dying, slowly, in their tiny cabin. And there is no food. But then a train arrives in the village, a train carrying untold wealth, a cornucopia of food, and a noble family destined to visit the Tsar in Saint Petersburg — a family that includes Ekaterina, a girl of Elena’s age. When the two girls’ lives collide, an adventure is set in motion, an escapade that includes mistaken identity, a monk locked in a tower, a prince traveling incognito, and — in a starring role only Gregory Maguire could have conjured — Baba Yaga, witch of Russian folklore, in her ambulatory house perched on chicken legs
Book Beginnings is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Rose City Reader. To participate, you just have to post the first sentence of the book you are reading and write your thoughts about it.
The heels of military boots , striking marble floors , made a sound like thrown stones. The old man knew that agents were hunting for him. He capped the inkwell and shook his pen. In his haste, he splattered the pale French wallpaper around his desk. That will look like spots of dried blood, he thought, my blood.
-First paragraph, Egg and Spoon by Gregory Mcguire
The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda’s Voice. To participate, you just have to grab a book, turn to page 56 or 56% in your e-reader and post a sentence or a few from it.
Grandmother Onna wasn’t impressed. She’d just come back from scouring the Rudetsky house by lamplight, and her old eyes were sharper than Elena’s. She’d found a cupful of oat mash hidden in a tin matchbox, and she shared half with Elena. “The Tsar to his veal, and we to our meal,” she said, smacking her lips.
Egg and Spoon by Gregory Mcguire
What an interesting title and cover! The excerpts grabbed me, too. Thanks for sharing…and for visiting my blog.
Thank you for commenting 🙂
Oooh, I think I’ll be adding this to my TBR pile – it sounds really good. Once I got past the negative associations I have with the title – I was absolutely useless at Egg and Spoon races as a kid 🙂 – the quotes and the synopsis really grabbed me. The cover’s lovely too, which always helps!
Great! Thanks for stopping by!
You’re welcome! 🙂
This book looks interesting, thanks for sharing. 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
I’ve heard great things about McGuire and I adore Baba Yaga. Maybe this will be my first!
Try it!
Sounds fun. I like the setting and the cover is lovely. I’d read it:)
My Friday 56 from Scar Tissue
Thanks!
This looks and sounds like a fun read. I love that cheeky 56! Happy weekend!
Thanks! You too!
I like the sound of the setting for this one. I haven’t read anything by this author, but I hear good things. Happy Friday!
Give it a try! You too!
That cover is beautiful! I’m glad you’re enjoying it Tavleen! I just started getting into audiobooks and I’m really enjoying myself. 🙂 Have a good weekend!
Glad to know you’re getting into audiobooks! Thank you!
This sounds really cool – can’t wait to try it!
Yay!