Review of John Hood’s “Forest Folk”
If John Hood wrote instructions for assembling Ikea furniture, chances are you could read them just for the pleasure of it. He’d find a way to include interesting characters, a plot twist or two, maybe a surprise ending. Luckily for us, Hood has focused his considerable talents on the far richer field of historical fantasy. “Forest Folk” is the sequel to his debut novel “Mountain Folk,” in which he conjured up nations of invisible creatures (elves, dwarves, sylphs, naiads, etc.) who use magic to influence us humans for their own ends, often with history-making results. “Mountain Folk” was intriguing good fun, even for those who are not fans of the fantasy genre. “Forest Folk” is even better.
In the first book, the Folk take a hand in shaping America’s struggle for independence, some allying with the Americans, some with the British. The second book takes us through the War of 1812 and into our national expansion west of the Appalachians. Here we see the Folk using their magic to influence Native American tribes as well as whites and their government. We meet real historical characters ranging from Tecumseh to Andrew Jackson, and experience actual historical events. As with the first book, Hood doesn’t change history to fit his narrative, rather he sticks closely to the facts and works the magic into it.
Along the way he touches on a remarkable number of American folk tales. Johnny Appleseed, Mike Fink, and Ichabod Crane all play important roles in the story. That’s the real Ichabod Crane, by the way (betcha didn’t know there was one), not the character from the Washington Irving story — although Irving himself makes an appearance, and we find out where he got the inspiration for the whole “Sleepy Hollow” business.
To get the most out of the story, it’s best if the reader has a basic, high school-level grasp of American history. A familiarity with classical American folk tales is also helpful. But even if your history class was taught by the coach who relied mainly upon movies and YouTube, you should be able to follow the story easily enough; Hood’s good about filling in the specific bits you need to know. And did I mention that there’s a particularly sweet love story embedded in the narrative? I really should, and now I have.
As a political history junkie, I think the story is at its best when it evokes the historical themes of slavery, the westward expansion, and the clash between white and native civilizations. Hood addresses these issues with a subtlety and sensitivity that will make you think, which I suspect is part of his goal in writing this series. And unless I mistake, I detect hints of what’s to come in a future volume, as the fairy folk begin to grapple with the parallel between their use (and abuse) of captured ‘monsters’ to cultivate their own magical powers, and the human institution of chattel slavery.
This is a story that just keeps getting better. I can’t wait to read the next one.
