This is a lovely book, an atmospheric novella that will be perfect for the winter season. I have not read other books by Susanna Clarke, but I understand the world in this book is related to her other work, so readers might particularly connect with that. I also think that this is a book that will come to life in its physical form more than in ebook form, so I'm looking forward to having it on the shelf and letting customers truly appreciate its beauty.

In this story set in midwinter, Merowdis Scot sets forth into the woods with her animals to walk and think for she is dissatisfied with her life. She does not wish to marry George who has offered and had been told that becoming a nun is not for her. What is her life to be? Surrounded by her dogs, her pig and the trees she loves, a fox and blackbird approach and all talk with her. Ultimately she has a vision of what might…will…happen in her life!

The Wood at Midwinter is a gentle, quiet tale that grows out of the world of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, that “other” England beside the one we may see on a map. The magical other where creatures chat with humans and the course of life may run differently. This is a midwinter tale combining fable, religion and all that comes with the solstice. The illustrations complement the peaceful and gentle nature of the story. Clarke’s end notes also outline the influences on this story from her novels Piranesi and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell as well as the music of Kate Bush. I believe I must have a listening session very soon! I recommend this as a midwinter gift to yourself.

Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an eARC of this book

A short story with beautiful illustrations evoking the Christmas story and love. This is the perfect book to add to a Christmas collection. Part fairy tale, part picture book, The Wood at Midwinter is an unsettling story about a young woman, Merowdis, who goes on a wintry walk and sees her future. The language is beautiful and the illustrations are perfectly strange and beautiful. This is a very short story that's more about giving the reader a sense of eerie atmosphere: and it succeeds.

I enjoyed the story and the world, but I guess overall it wasn't what I was expecting. I thought it would be a short story (which it was) but more of a picture book short story.

The Wood at Midwinter is a gentle read about a young lady who is at one with nature, almost to her detriment. Her personality is so peculiar to her family that they call her a saint. She speaks in parables, and she also speaks to (and hears) the animals, trees, and the woods. While this book is short, it is a comfortable read, set against the backdrop of a snowy winter, it is a nice break from the realities of this modern world. While reading the authors afterword, I learned that this short story was also performed on the BBC in 2022. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001g9m4
As a last note, I did find it interesting that the dog Pretty called the fox a "bad person", as if they possibly all see themselves as person(s).

Delighted to include this title in the October edition of Novel Encounters, my column highlighting the month’s most anticipated fiction for the Books section of Zoomer, Canada’s national lifestyle and culture magazine. (see column and mini-review at link)

I lovely holiday-esque story. It was quiet and charming. Based on the description I was not expecting a story at the same level as Piranesi, but I do think fans of Susanna Clarke will enjoy this tale nonetheless. I recommend it for any wintery TBR.

My only complaint is I really just wanted more of Clarke's phenomal storytelling and prose. While she accomplished so much in so few pages, I'm still desperate for more. This was warm and beautiful and hard and all of the things.

VERY short, but a good story with beautiful illustrations and steeped in the same fantastical world as JONATHAN STRANGE & MR. NORRELL.

A short story with beautiful illustrations evoking the Christmas story and love. This is the perfect book to add to a Christmas collection. Merowdis has not the patience to be a nun or the desire to be a wife, and a Christmas vision shows her another path.

Thank you to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for this eARC!

This was an enchanting short story perfect to cozy up with in the winter! I absolutely loved the gorgeous illustrations included. This is a great story about living your life loving things even though others don't understand why you love the things you do. It's just almost too short for me to really latch on to anything. I'd still recommend to anyone who loves Susanna Clarke's writing!

Everything about this is enchanting. I could practically smell the fallen winter snow and hear the light footsteps of a woman and her companions treading through the woods. Susanna Clarke can do so much with so few pages. Absolutely wonderful!

I love how Clarke characterizes people in a lyrical way rather than more overt methods. You learn more from her characters through emotions versus outward aspects. I appreciate the way Clarke creates a sort of magical realism in her world, where the sisters come from their home and almost crossover to another world completely, at least Merowdis. Merowdis is so passionate and loving when it comes to animals. Then, they start to communicate—the relationship and an overwhelming sense of love when discussing motherhood and the natural world. The dynamics of being a mother to an animal and a cub further emphasizes our connections to nature and maybe the squirrels we feed or raccoons we take pictures of daily. The winter backdrop is beautiful and something I usually don't gravitate towards. I liked it in this sense because the wood is so frozen and chilling for me, but Merowdis does not see where this is not good, only that she gets to continue her journey through the natural world. Back to the themes of motherhood, the cub needing someone brings us all back to natural instinct and how we are all animals living on earth, and motherhood is universal.

When Merowdis enters the wood she does not know what she is looking for, but she will find it. An enchanting tale of a girl that can speak to animals losing herself within the winter woods, The Wood at Midwinter is a beautifully illustrated short story by Susanna Clarke that will appeal to readers of her other works.

A charmer! Absolutely worth a read for the illustrations alone -- the story is lovely but a bit insubstantial, so much so that I think publishing it independently is somewhat silly (not to mention transparently financial in motivation). I love Susanna Clarke, though, and found a lot to enjoy here. Her tone is reminiscent of the best of children's writing -- sly, knowing, clever -- and of course I love a crazy girl narrative. Cute!

This story is lovely and, fittingly, reminds me of much older stories that I read as an English lit. major in school. It's the first Clarke I've so far read, but because of this short story alone I plan to read everything I can get my hands on.
While this is not a long story, it effectively portrays the feeling of winter in a way I've not read before.

A pleasant and beautiful fairy tale. While I was reading the book on my phone, I can imagine how nice it will look in book form. The book concerns a saint who communes in the woods. While pithy, I think there is plenty to chew on from the story.

The Wood At MidWinter is a wonderfully illustrated short story by author Susanna Clarke. The tale is brief, mysterious, and altogether enchanting, while Clarke’s writing is clear, beautifully descriptive and evocative. A diverting and recommended read.

Quiet and lovely, with a main character Clarke acknowledges as neurodiverse in her afterword. But too slight on its own, even with the illustrations.

Brief but haunting, set in the same world as Clarke's beloved fantasy classic Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. The illustrations are gorgeous as well.