Forgotten Favorites: The Fairy Rebel by Lynne Reid Banks; A Beautiful Detailed Modern Fairy Tale
By Julie Sara Porter
Bookworm Reviews
Spoilers: It can be rather annoying when an author's book is so popular that their other works are often ignored or not held in as high regard as the favored book. In October, I reviewed what I feel was Anne Rice's best work, The Witching Hour over her more well known, Interview with the Vampire. While J.D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey is well regarded by many (and J.D. Salinger himself actually preferred The Glass Family), it doesn't have the same academic and cultural impact as Holden Caulfield and his book, Catcher in the Rye.
\Another author that falls in that category is Lynne Reid Banks. I remember when her Indian in the Cupboard was seen everywhere: bookstores, libraries, book fairs, and in the pages of book order forms. Banks wrote five sequels and many Readers thrilled to the adventures of Omri, a young boy, and Little Bear, a tiny figure turned human and the title character. Because of the popularity of the Indian in the Cupboard books, many of Bank's other works have often been ignored.
Her best work however is The Fairy Rebel, a beautiful modern fairy tale about a young fairy who helps a childless English family despite orders from the rigid Fairy Queen.
Jan, a former actress, and Charlie, a General Practitioner, have a loving marriage except they want to have children. One day as Jan sits in her garden, a fairy appears dressed in a flowing top and a pair of blue jeans. Jan and Tiki, the fairy, become friends so Tiki helps her human friend by magically creating a baby for her. Unfortunately, the Fairy Queen learns about Tiki assisting Jan so she imprisons Tiki in a wasp’s nest. (The book explains that fairies are afraid of wasps. One sting and they become fairy dust) Jan, Charlie, and Tiki’s Elvin friend, Wijic rescue her.
A year after Tiki's rescue, Jan gives birth to a baby girl, Bindi. When Bindi is 8-years-old, the Fairy Queen prepares a final assault on Tiki, Wijic, Bindi and her parents.
The book is filled with interesting unique touches that show that Banks took a lot of thought into creating the Fairy World. She creates terms such as “Earthed” (when a fairy touches a human and is therefore able to be seen by the human). Even Bindi’s name is a Fairean word meaning “expensive” or a “treasure.” (Because Tiki had to borrow magic from various friends to create her).There are whole chapters describing Fairy culture such as that fairies sleep in bird's nests, flower petals, and tree notches or that fairy babies come from sugar eggs.
One of the most enchanting chapters is one that reveals magical presents that Tiki leaves for Bindi each year on her birthday. Because Bindi was born in June and Tiki admits to being a “pink rose fairy,” the presents are shaped like roses and reflect Bindi's interests and age. Tiki's presents for Bindi include a large rose that tells a story every week for a year, a rose comprised of letters so she can learn how to spell in school, and a pink and green gown that gives her the confidence to play a queen in the school play. The Fairy World is so detailed that I wish there were parts set entirely in that world and so we could get Tiki and Wijic's point of view
The book mostly focuses on Jan, Charlie, and Bindi and the Reader learns about the Fairy World as they do. That's not a big loss in that they are all great characters. Jan is a woman of deep sensitivity and kindness with some regret. (Her acting career ended early because a lamp fell on her in a TV studio giving her a limp. For a long time, she believed that the injury may have been responsible for her inability to bear children.) Charlie is the stern straight man of the family, but is not above showing kindness such as when they first encounter Wijic after he is frozen during the winter. While one would expect a kid surrounded by magic to be spoiled, Bindi is not. She is emotional and very enthusiastic, a sweet little girl, so the Fairy Queen's manipulations to get Bindi to do rotten things like shop lift candy and using magic for selfish purposes are deliberately out of character.
Tiki and Wijic also make for an interesting duo. Tiki is a kind soul with a penchant for rebellion hence why she wears blue jeans (The Fairy Queen forbids it). Wijic is more cautious less willing to break the Queen's rules until Tiki is in trouble. (Though he does long to be a human boy because he is tired of using magic and eating sweet foods preferring savory snacks like chips).Tiki and Wijic are that type of couple that are forever arguing and teasing each other but are actually close friends who might be more.
The Fairy Rebel is not a well known book but it should have a better reputation of being a charming, beautiful, detailed late 20th century fairy tale.
Her best work however is The Fairy Rebel, a beautiful modern fairy tale about a young fairy who helps a childless English family despite orders from the rigid Fairy Queen.
Jan, a former actress, and Charlie, a General Practitioner, have a loving marriage except they want to have children. One day as Jan sits in her garden, a fairy appears dressed in a flowing top and a pair of blue jeans. Jan and Tiki, the fairy, become friends so Tiki helps her human friend by magically creating a baby for her. Unfortunately, the Fairy Queen learns about Tiki assisting Jan so she imprisons Tiki in a wasp’s nest. (The book explains that fairies are afraid of wasps. One sting and they become fairy dust) Jan, Charlie, and Tiki’s Elvin friend, Wijic rescue her.
A year after Tiki's rescue, Jan gives birth to a baby girl, Bindi. When Bindi is 8-years-old, the Fairy Queen prepares a final assault on Tiki, Wijic, Bindi and her parents.
The book is filled with interesting unique touches that show that Banks took a lot of thought into creating the Fairy World. She creates terms such as “Earthed” (when a fairy touches a human and is therefore able to be seen by the human). Even Bindi’s name is a Fairean word meaning “expensive” or a “treasure.” (Because Tiki had to borrow magic from various friends to create her).There are whole chapters describing Fairy culture such as that fairies sleep in bird's nests, flower petals, and tree notches or that fairy babies come from sugar eggs.
One of the most enchanting chapters is one that reveals magical presents that Tiki leaves for Bindi each year on her birthday. Because Bindi was born in June and Tiki admits to being a “pink rose fairy,” the presents are shaped like roses and reflect Bindi's interests and age. Tiki's presents for Bindi include a large rose that tells a story every week for a year, a rose comprised of letters so she can learn how to spell in school, and a pink and green gown that gives her the confidence to play a queen in the school play. The Fairy World is so detailed that I wish there were parts set entirely in that world and so we could get Tiki and Wijic's point of view
The book mostly focuses on Jan, Charlie, and Bindi and the Reader learns about the Fairy World as they do. That's not a big loss in that they are all great characters. Jan is a woman of deep sensitivity and kindness with some regret. (Her acting career ended early because a lamp fell on her in a TV studio giving her a limp. For a long time, she believed that the injury may have been responsible for her inability to bear children.) Charlie is the stern straight man of the family, but is not above showing kindness such as when they first encounter Wijic after he is frozen during the winter. While one would expect a kid surrounded by magic to be spoiled, Bindi is not. She is emotional and very enthusiastic, a sweet little girl, so the Fairy Queen's manipulations to get Bindi to do rotten things like shop lift candy and using magic for selfish purposes are deliberately out of character.
Tiki and Wijic also make for an interesting duo. Tiki is a kind soul with a penchant for rebellion hence why she wears blue jeans (The Fairy Queen forbids it). Wijic is more cautious less willing to break the Queen's rules until Tiki is in trouble. (Though he does long to be a human boy because he is tired of using magic and eating sweet foods preferring savory snacks like chips).Tiki and Wijic are that type of couple that are forever arguing and teasing each other but are actually close friends who might be more.
The Fairy Rebel is not a well known book but it should have a better reputation of being a charming, beautiful, detailed late 20th century fairy tale.
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