Midwinterblood

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Bibliographic data: 

Sedgwick, Marcus (2014).  Midwinterblood.  Read by Julian Rhind-Tutt.  New York: Listening Library.

Summary:  

Midwinterblood is comprised of seven short stories, each its own story but all connected by an island and two names, Merle and Erik.  Spanning thousands of years, each story is its own, telling of a journalist, archeologist, painter, farmer, fighter pilot, king and nanny.  Each story, however, has elements that are relate to the others: a hare, a phrase, a flower.  Could these stories, despite their differences and the years between them, be intertwined?

Analysis:  

Midwinterblood is an engaging, well-written and thought-out book.  Sedgwick managed to create seven stories that could easily stand on their own but instead group together to make a stronger, more compelling book.  With each new story, the reader becomes more certain that the Eriks and Merles from each story are somehow connected.  Each story provides the reader with the smallest hint of how the stories connect, hints that are often not obvious until a number of stories later.  This interconnectedness draws the reader in, making Midwinterblood an easy page-turner.

Because it is comprised of a number of short stories, there is a story line for nearly everyone.  The short story genres range from ghost stories to historical fiction, realistic fiction to mystery.  This variety makes Midwinterblood an ideal read for book groups or classroom assignments.  The variety is complimented by foreshadowing and reoccurring ideas, making it easy to make predictions about what is to come in the novel and discuss theories of how, or if, the stories are related.

Midwinterblood does not have the feel of a young adult novel.  The characters are not anxious teens attempting to discover themselves, but rather a mix of young and old, males and females.  This is likely to catch some young adults off guard.  The uniqueness of the story line will engage some young readers, while others might be unable to connect to the book without seeing more of themselves in the characters.

The audio reading is well done overall.  Julian Rhind-Tutt creates a variety of voices, allowing the multitude of characters to come to life.  The musical selection that plays between the stories matches the feel of the novel, mysterious and ancient.  Towards the end of the book however, Rhind-Tutt’s voice trails off awkwardly at the end of sentences, leaving the listener in a constant state of discomfort as he or she wonders if the chapter is ending or if there are errors with the playback.

Activity:  

A class could use the unique combined short story style of Midwinterblood as a starting point for a collaborative writing project.  To begin, all students could be given two names.  Each individual or small group could then compose a short story with two characters that have the assigned names. There should be no restraints on how the names are connected or used.  After this writing is complete, the individual writers would share their writing with the class.  Then, as a whole group, the class would brainstorm and write an overarching story that connects all of the short stories.

Related Resources: 

The connection between the stories in Midwinterblood is an ancient human sacrifice.   In an attempt to appease the gods and his people for years of bad crops, King Erik offers himself.  As he dies, he promises his wife, Merle, that they will live seven times and that he will find her.  European human sacrifice is likely an unknown topic for young adult readers, this site from the BBC will provide them with background knowledge on the subject.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/british_prehistory/human_sacrifice_01.shtml

Parker-Pearson, Mike (2011).  The Practice of Human Sacrifice.  Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/british_prehistory/human_sacrifice_01.shtml  (accessed June 20, 2016).

One of the stories in Midwinterblood tells of a famous painter who creates a giant painting depicting a scene of a primitive human sacrifice.  This sacrifice is central to the story and is titled “Midwinterblood”.  The painting however was not an idea original to Sedgwick.  He based the story off a painting created in 1915 by Carl Larsson titled “Midvinterblot,” which is housed at the Swedish National Museum.  Larsson’s painting does not match Sedgwick’s description exactly, however the similarities are obvious.  The following links tell more about Larsson, show examples of his work and tell about “Midvinerblot.”  This background knowledge could help the reader to better understand Sedgwick’s writing process as well as to visualize the painting and sacrifice scene from the book. 

Hernan, Oriol. Carl Larsson Paintings.  Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnrTJvpmynk (accessed June 20, 2016)

Oakley, Howard.  Carl Larsson: how a loved and popular painter became lost in controversy.  Retrieved from https://eclecticlight.co/2015/11/22/carl-larsson-how-a-loved-and-popular-painter-became-lost-in-controversy/  (accessed June 20, 2016).

National Museum.  Midvinterblot: Sweden’s Most Controversial Painting.  Retrieved from: http://www.nationalmuseum.se/ (https://goo.gl/qeEM81 ) (accessed June 20, 2016).  Translated using https://translate.google.com/.   

Published Review:

“Ominous drumbeats and solemn music introduce each intertwined story in the audio of Sedgwick’s Printz Award–winning fantastical and bleak tale. Each story works its way backward in time, exploring the lives of reincarnated lovers Eirikr and Melle, a Dark Ages king sacrificed for his people and the wife he asked to follow him through centuries of rebirth. All set on the island of Blessed, these tales are spooky and strange and bordering on the horrific. A Viking spurned by his lover—his brother’s wife—tries to reclaim his children, even after death, stalking the island seeking blood. A wraith masquerading as a nanny tells her ghostly tale to two unsuspecting children visiting the island. Rhind-Tutt’s voice is supple and full of gravitas, able to command as well as purr. Like a bard of yore, he grips the listener, though because some of the main narrators and characters are women, and young as well as old, it can be difficult to sort out relationships at times. This is an excellent choice for those seeking chills—just don’t listen alone at night, during a thunderstorm.”

Cruse, Karen. 2014. Miswinterblood. n.p.: Booklist, 2014. Book Index with Reviews, EBSCOhost (accessed June 20, 2016).

Midwinterblood is comprised of seven vignettes, with settings ranging from the future to Viking times and a variety of characters, including vampires, ghosts, and humans. Common to all the stories is the Scandinavian island, Blessed; a mysterious dragon orchid; and Eric and Merle, who play different roles in each story. This unusual book for teens (many of the stories feature adult characters only) goes backwards in time, beginning with a story that takes place in 2073. While each narrative could stand alone, combining them into one volume with the barest threads of connections (similar to Olive Kitteridge or Let the Great World Spin) makes the book noteworthy. The audiobook is expertly narrated by British actor Julian Rhind-Tutt, whose hushed English voice is perfect for the recording. Sedgwick's sparse prose is beautifully read with a haunting, dreamlike quality that lets listeners experience the horror, mystery, romance, and tragedy that abounds in the book. Melancholy yet lovely music briefly separates the vignettes.

Paladino, Julie. 2014. Miswinterblood. n.p.: School Library Journal, 2014. Book Index with Reviews, EBSCOhost (accessed June 20, 2016).