This is the changelings tale. Expelled from underhill because as half human she cannot disappear properly and so endangers her community the moorchild is swapped with a human infant. Her babyhood is difficult and she is shunned and bullied by the other children. The flow is not sprightly which might not suit the telling of a difficult childhood though it would certainly help getting through it. ( )

Half moorfolk and half human, and unable to shape-shift or disappear at will, Moql threatens the safety of the Band. So the Folk banish her and send her to live among humans as a changeling. Named Saaski by the couple for whose real baby she was swapped, she grows up taunted and feared by the villagers for being different, and is comfortable only on the moor, playing strange music on her bagpipes.

As Saaski grows up, memories from her forgotten past with the Folks slowly emerge. But so do emotions from her human side, and she begins to realize the terrible wrong the Folk have done to the humans she calls Da and Mumma. She is determined to restore their child to them, even if it means a dangerous return to the world that has already rejected her once.

I'm going to begin this review with a WOW. Great read! I was drawn in to the characters and situation, which never felt stereotypical or superficial, or contrived. The people in the story had some dimension, depth, and I had a hard time putting this book down despite it being past my "bedtime".

Nice, very nice, worthy of the honor. I felt it possibly could have been a Newbery Medal winner. ( )

The language and myth alone make this a magically woven story to cherish! The way of confronting and challenging the very sad albeit human trait of fearing and shunning those who are different cinches it. This book is timeless, and should be on everyone's shelf! ( )

A lovely book with a sympathetic oddball main character. ( )