Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Fantasy, abandoned by reason, produces impossible monsters; united with it, she is the mother of the arts and the origin of marvels. – Francisco de Goya

For this week’s book review, ladies and gentlemen, and children of all ages, I’m pleased to present one of the most unusual books I've ever read…. By turns dark, whimsical, edgy, atmospheric and hopeful, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is full of glamours and history and things that go bump in the night. Author Ransom Riggs has collected real (not retouched or photoshopped!), vintage, black-and-white photos featuring strangely-dressed children doing odd things. These photos are intriguing enough in their own right, but they become captivating and eerie when partnered with the story Riggs weaves to tie them together. Drawing from traditions as diverse as the Lovecraft mythos, Grimm's fairy tales, and Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret, nevertheless, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is startlingly original.

When Jacob Portman was very young, his beloved Grandpa Portman told him fantastical, strange tales of the time he spent in an orphanage in Wales, living in an enchanted house with children who had unusual talents. Grandpa Portman’s stories included friends who were invisible, who could hold fire in their hands, who could lift boulders with one arm. He told Jacob that all these peculiar children lived together, watched over by a wise, strict hawk, protected from the monsters who would hunt them. As Jacob got older, he believed his father’s explanation for his grandpa’s stories: Grandpa Portman was an Eastern European Jew, part of the Kindertransport that came to the United Kingdom to escape the Nazis. Indeed, there were monsters who hunted these children; if Grandpa wanted to create fantastic stories about this, perhaps it was easier for him than explaining the horrors of the Holocaust. With this more rational explanation, Jacob stops believing his grandfather’s stories, though they continue to have a close relationship.

At age sixteen, Jacob sees himself as a boring, somewhat nerdy high schooler who will never have the talent or the chance to live the adventurous, exciting life his grandfather did – becoming a soldier, fighting in wars, traveling the world, speaking several languages, becoming a weapons expert. He knows he will end up working in the family-owned chain of drugstores. All this changes suddenly for Jacob, though, with the esoteric, dying words of his grandfather, meant only for Jacob. To shake off the nightmares of the monster who stalks his grandfather and him in his dreams, Jacob convinces his father to take him to Wales, to search for the orphanage where Grandpa Portman spent several of the war years. Jacob finds a ruined old house, hundreds more photos of the peculiar children, and much more on heaven and earth than he ever dreamt of.

To tell much more of the actual plot is to take away from your pleasure in discovering it. Riggs’ new book defies categorization – though I currently have it shelved in the young adult fantasy section, I’ll be putting this in the hands of adults who enjoy fantasy, horror, historical fiction, folktales and mythology, and anyone who loves a beautiful book. The construction of the actual pages and binding is an experience for the senses. This is not one for the e-reader. Peregrine’s Peculiar Children deserve a place in your hands and on your shelf. Note that first and second editions have already sold out from the publishers and in many stores; the movie rights were purchased BEFORE the book was even released! This one has award-status written all over it.

Monsters in your head or monsters in your family tree? Let Hobo know your peculiar stories by emailing him at from_my_shelf@yahoo.com. Looking for more things peculiar or monstrous? Search our book review archives at http://frommyshelf.blogspot.com.