Elias Martin

Elias Martin

Nicola Davies / Fran Shum

Graffeg

Elias Martin is a grumpy, lonesome, hard-faced young man who thinks that nature and the wild are conspiring against him. What with deathly blizzards, harsh winters and cruel terrain the only pleasure he gets in the North is skinning the animals that symbolise nature as enemy. He is fighting a “war against life, driven by a lonely darkness in his soul.” Then one day, a young girl mysteriously enters his life and things begin to change. He hears the birdsong, he notices the sunrise, he feels the fire’s warmth. Is Elias’ heart beginning to thaw?

Nicola Davies expertly paints a callous canvas in this short tale, choosing her words meticulously; within paragraphs the scene is set and we are directly placed into the raw reality of an isolated northern province. The writing is atmospheric, intelligent and compelling. Fran Shum’s black and white etching-style illustrations are perfectly suited to this tale and ideally imitate the naive wood carvings of the little girl.

At under 40 pages, it’s a short book, but it packs a punch: Elias Martin has you feeling the landscapes, worrying for the characters and seriously considering our relationship with the wild.

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