Monday, July 6, 2009

Howl's Moving Castle

by Diane Wynn Jones

In the land of Ingary where magic runs rife a prince has been taken captive by the evil witch of the waste and the talented king’s wizard, who has tried to rescue him has reportable been slain. A dangerous, heart-eating wizard by the name of Howl is reported to be on the move.

But all of this is inconsequential to Sophie Hatter. Afraid that her position as eldest of three sisters means she is doomed to failure if she tries to seek her fortune elsewhere, Sophie works in the her tedious family’s hat shop in Market Chipping. That is until her fate takes a turn and brings Sophie to the attention of the evil Witch of the Waste, who casts a spell, turning Sophie into an old lady unable to tell anyone what has happened.

So, Sophie runs away from home, right into the strange and frantic world of Howl, his apprentice Michael and the fire demon, Calcifer where her only hope of reversing the spell lies in untangling and breaking the bizarre contract between Howl and his demon before the witch of the waste catches up with them.

With a wonderful combination of outrageous humor and great sincerity, this tale of magic and finding one’s true purpose will enchant readers of any age.

Part of my 100 + reading challenge