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Jan 14, 2014
A wonderful culmination to this coming of age series disguised as novels about witchcraft. As anyone familiar with Terry Pratchett's series about Tiffany Aching will realize, witchcraft has far less to do with magic than it has to do with taking responsibility for the people in one's community, which includes such mundane things as clipping people's toenails and scrubbing floors as well as far more weighty matters such as helping people cope with the death of a loved one, protecting abused children and midwifery. There is, of course, a supernatural element in the Cunning Man, the embodiment of prejudice and blind hatred against witches, and of course Tiffany must stand her ground. The story beautifully rounds out her relationship with Roland and with the Nac Mac Feegle, and firmly establishes her as the witch of the chalk. A wonderful read for any adolescent struggling to find their place in society or any parent of an adolescent that could use a few words of wisdom (both metaphorical and overt) to help their child through this transition, not unlike the hare running into the fire (read the book)!