Pauline Fisk is a marvellous story teller whose canvas is huge and whose delving into mythology makes for astounding reading.
When Abren becomes conscious of her surroundings she is struggling to get out of the flooded river Severn with her only possession, a beautifully embroidered cloth, clutched in her arms. What is she doing in the water, who is she, where can she go?
And so begins the unfolding of a story, that snakes and turns like the river itself, surprising the reader on every level. A wonderful magical fantasy of a story that follows the journey of a girl's life over many centuries and across huge terrain.