This book held true to the magic and wonder I remember from reading it as a child. Now revisiting it as an adult I am no less impressed and enchanted than I was as a child. Andre Norton is an excellent story teller, and although her writing reflects popular usages of the time, now, 40 years later, the conventions do seem a little dated but of course that can be forgiven. Lavender Green Magic is the story of three siblings, Holly, Judy and Crocket Wade who come to live at their grandparent's Junkyard when their father is missing in action in Vietnam, and their mother has to take a job at a nearby nursing home to survive financially. The Wade children come to learn of the curse that once occupied the Dimsdale property that the junkyard sits on, and they soon discover an old overgrown maze that holds the secrets of good, evil, time travel and choices that will determine the future of not only the Dimsdale that is, but also of the past occupant, Tamar and Hagar,that dwell there. This timeless children's novel touches on many themes: that of fear of change, personal growth, conquering your demons, making right choices and the more blantant surface theme of choosing good over evil. Andre Norton approaches this theme in a manner that is never heavy handed. The main character Holly, is greatly influenced by negative forces, both through her own darker fear-based mind and through that of the dark witch Hagar whom she encounters through the maze.But she never fully sucumbs to these urges, so she never crosses the line from protagonist to antagonist. Holly's conscience does not let her betray her siblings and she toys with using the dark powers but for the good of her family. The wonder of this novel, I feel, comes with the growth of Holly and how she is put in a place of trust by her siblings as they never do lose faith in her. This story has a happy ending and will continue to delight children who enjoy all the magic, mystery and imagination that this book has to offer. Reading this again as an adult, I was reminded how richly this book played into our creative world. My friend and I would act out this book and make our own herbal potions, pretending to be Tamar. We would write our own herb recipe books and good spell books and we made the rose beads and tea delights suggested in the book. My friend even dressed as Tamar for Halloween. It was great reliving my childhood when I read this again, and I hope to pass it on to my thirteen year old son, who also loves fantasy.
I’m always surprised by Andre Norton’s range. She wrote space opera, action-adventure, and fantasy, with characters of all ages, genders, situations in life, and species, and it was all good. I’ve never picked up a book of hers that I didn’t like, and Lavender-Green Magic is no exception. This book is set during the Vietnam War and tells the tale of three kids sent to live with their grandparents while their father fights and their mother works. (She had to take a nursing job in a rest home-type place, so they couldn’t stay with her.)I can’t really summarize the plot effectively without giving away too much, so I will just say that the kids get themselves intertwined in a peculiar situation involving time travel and magic in the colonial era, and everyone lives happily ever after.Long story short: Andre Norton rocks.
What do You think about Lavender-Green Magic (1975)?
I read this book as a child, and spent years searching out it's half forgotten and yet beloved story. I only dimly remembered the title (kept thinking herbs, herbs, WHICH herbs) and bits of plot (an embroidered pillow, twins, good vs evil, a forest and labyrinthian maze) and yet I continued to search. Finally, bless the good folk at rec.arts.books.children, I was gifted with the correct title and author and the information that it is out of print but readily available used. Twinkly friendly cyber-friends told me I would love it today as much as I did then, and they were absolutely right. It's pure enchantment.
—Joanna
When the father of eleven-year-old Holly and her twin siblings , Judy and Crockett, disappears during a mission in Vietnam, he is declared MIA, and the children go to their grandparents in a small town on the coast of Massachusetts. They are used to the city, and other children who are more like them (they are black). Lonely and not sure how to fit in, the children explore the maze and the junkyard, which initiates a chilling time travel where their lives, and their future selves, are at stake. Their mission - try to remedy an ancient ill without affecting the future in a bad way. The witch's curse twists through time, snaring the 3 and entangling them in a bitter past.
—Doris
