Born in Austin, Texas, Katherine Arden spent a year of high school in Rennes, France. Following her acceptance to Middlebury College in Vermont, she deferred enrollment for a year in order to live and study in Moscow. At Middlebury, she specialized in French and Russian literature. After receiving her BA, she moved to Maui, Hawaii, working every kind of odd job imaginable, from grant writing and making crêpes to guiding horse trips. Currently she lives in Vermont, but really, you never know.
“Arden’s debut novel has the cadence of a beautiful fairy tale but
is darker and more lyrical.”—The Washington Post
“Vasya [is] a clever, stalwart girl determined to forge her own
path in a time when women had few choices.”—The Christian Science
Monitor
“Stunning . . . will enchant readers from the first page. . . .
with an irresistible heroine who wants only to be free of the bonds
placed on her gender and claim her own fate.”—Publishers Weekly
(starred review)
“Utterly bewitching . . . a lush narrative . . . an immersive,
earthy story of folk magic, faith, and hubris, peopled with vivid,
dynamic characters, particularly clever, brave Vasya, who outsmarts
men and demons alike to save her family.”—Booklist (starred
review)
“Arden’s supple, sumptuous first novel transports the reader to a
version of medieval Russia where history and myth coexist.”—Kirkus
Reviews (starred review)
“Radiant . . . a darkly magical fairy tale for adults, [but] not
just for those who love magic.”—Library Journal
“An extraordinary retelling of a very old tale . . . A Russian
setting adds unfamiliar spice to the story of a young woman who
does not rebel against the limits of her role in her culture so
much as transcend them. The Bear and the Nightingale is a
wonderfully layered novel of family and the harsh wonders of deep
winter magic.”—Robin Hobb
“A beautiful deep-winter story, full of magic and monsters and the
sharp edges of growing up.”—Naomi Novik
“Haunting and lyrical, The Bear and the Nightingale tugs
at the heart and quickens the pulse. I can’t wait for
Katherine Arden's next book.”—Terry Brooks
“The Bear and the Nightingale is a marvelous trip into an
ancient Russia where magic is a part of everyday life.”—Todd
McCaffrey
“Enthralling and enchanting—I couldn’t put it down. This is a
wondrous book!”—Tamora Pierce
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