After Alice by Gregory MaguireMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is such a fun book, but it also made me think about some serious issues.
One issue that really stuck out for me was that Lydia, Alice's 15-year-old sister, has a couple of problems she can't discuss with anyone. Their mother died recently and, Lydia knows, if her mother was still alive she would have all the answers she needed.
The story follows Ada, Alice's friend, as she falls down the rabbit hole and realizes that this must be where Alice is, and starts looking for her. She comes across some familiar characters -- the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, and Queen of Hearts, among others -- and they are just as wonderful as they were when Lewis Carroll created them and Wonderland 150 years ago.
Maguire's imagery is spectacular. It's rarely that I get totally lost in a book and feel as if I'm really in the place that's being described. Strange that it was fantasy land that swept me away.
The day after finishing the book I had the privilege of speaking with author Gregory Maguire. That was just as much fun as the book. You can find the interview here: http://yourbradfordradio.com/wesb/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/01/LiveLine-07-11-16-Author-Gregory-Maguire-talks-about-his-book-After-Alice.mp3
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