Rating: Needs Parent Supervision

Reading Level: Middle School

This powerful, whimsical story was so sweet and yet so very so full of sorrow. I suspect what makes this story so moving is that the author, who is a social worker, is drawing from experiences working with troubled families.

A man lost his wife and children to a plague, and changes vocation from a toy maker to a lonely coffin maker. Meanwhile, a little boy and his mother flee from an abusive home. When his mother dies, the coffin maker opens his home and his heart to the starving boy.  When the fearsome birth father comes to town, their world is turned upside down.  

Possible Concerns:

  • Abuse. The abuse is never explicitly described, but stories of the harsh and merciless father are combined with the boy’s reference to the mother as “my protector.” It is really tastefully done, but nevertheless could be very haunting to a sensitive souls – and should be treated with caution for those who have experienced abuse.
  • Deceit. The coffin maker and his friends tell a few lies to protect the boy.
  • Grief. The story is overall quite dark & full of sorrow, but I’m still glad I read it; my prayers for domestic violence were woken up.
  • Magic. There is magic in the world they live in, but, no references to God. No mention of afterlife despite the very heavy presence of death.
  • Powerful. When I finished the book I couldn’t sleep; it was so powerful and so moving and so terrifying and so lovely. 

Things I like:

  • Creativity. The world they live in has whimsy and wonder.
  • Kindness. The coffin maker is gentle and kind
  • Friendship. The friends of the coffin maker come through when he needs them
  • Sorrow. The sorrow is palpable in a very honest sort of way.
  • Honesty about Domestic Abuse. The book leans into the issue of domestic abuse in ways that are incredibly empathy-encouraging. The boy’s constant, oppressive fear is heart-wrenching.
  • Dangers of Gossip. Gossip is positioned as hurtful and dangerous

I don’t know if I’d let this live in my home, but for a mature reader I think this could be eye-opening to domestic violence or even therapeutic for some going through or recovering from it.