Book Review: Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott

‘Thistlefoot’ by GennaRose Nethercott was released in 2022. It follows estranged siblings Isaac and Bellatine Yaga, who reunite to stake their claim on their inheritance, promised by their Great-Great-Grandmother: a house… on legs!

I loved how this book encapsulated the idea of folklore and infamy go in tandem. Mythic figures of folklore, like Baba Yaga in this instance, start off being described as bizarre, and magical, however, as the story goes on, and you learn many tales of her life, you hear more incredulous things that you wouldn’t expect from your twice-great-Grandmother. Yes, family have their stories, exaggerated anecdotes for children to listen to, and learn about relatives that are no longer around. Similarly, there are stories that exist in the thumbprints of a location. When I began my time at The University of Derby, a graduate from the previous class went onstage at a Fresher’s Open Mic and lured us in with the story of Derby’s own cryptid, The Backwards Man. I didn’t see him until the end of my first year, when I was in a café, and ended up gawking out the window, staring as the man walked out of the shopping center – backward!

What ‘Thistlefoot’ does brilliantly, is in its taking the notoriety of a mythical figure like Baba Yaga, who was said to have had sex with copious lovers in the woods by her moving house, human and supernatural alike, Baba Yaga, who apparently had chickens whose eggs contained lost items, Baba Yaga, who supposedly grew her children from rosewater and milk teeth she prised from village girls’ mouths. They take her and the reputation the reader comes to believe, and slowly up the ante, increasing the superlatives and notoriety as the story goes on when you’re enthralled by the magic of this chicken-legged house that traverses America, taking Isaac and Bellatine across the country to perform their puppet show, The Drowning Fool, you are presented with the truth, the plain-faced truth from the mouth of the house itself: the walking, living relic, that is the house, Bellatine named Thistlefoot.

I loved the parallel between the Yaga siblings and how they complement each other. They echo the idea that the story only dies and a story is only forgotten when people stop telling it. The Longshadow Man being a metaphor for erasure and neglecting to acknowledge history was perfect in so many ways! However, I didn’t seem to have the greatest understanding of the characters’ powers, however, that is most likely from my lack of pre-existing knowledge of the folklore, and having read into the small hours.

The story was exciting, fast-paced and immersive. I enjoyed being taken along on the journey with the characters. And how running away from your past is given a physical metaphor in the form of Thistlefoot’s restlessness. It was a very compelling, magical story that I would definitely recommend.