East

By Edith Pattou

A beautiful, new edition of the beloved fantasy hailed as “the stuff of epic tale telling” (Booklist), perfect for fans of Beauty and the Beast from New York Times best-selling author Edith Pattou.

Rose has always longed for adventure, so when an enormous white bear appears one evening and makes her a mysterious offer, she accepts. In exchange for health and prosperity for her ailing family, she must live with the white bear in a distant castle. But Rose soon realizes that all isn’t as it seems. As she tries to settle into her new life, she makes a devastating mistake. Now she must choose: return to her safe and loving family or go on a dangerous quest to fix what she has broken—and perhaps lose her heart along the way. A sweeping romantic epic as timeless as any fairy tale and thrilling as only the best fantasy novels can be.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Mar 16, 2012
• ISBN: 9780547996134

Edith Pattou

Edith Pattou is the author ofEast, an ALA Notable Book, and its sequel, West; Hero's Song; Fire Arrow, a Booklist Top Ten Fantasy Novel of the Year; Ghosting; and the New York Times bestselling picture book Mrs. Spitzer's Garden. She lives in Columbus, Ohio. www.edithpattou.com Twitter: @epattou Instagram: @ediepattou

Reviews for East

[ailurophile-709426 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book a lot. I had not been familiar with “East of the Sun, West of the Moon,” the Norwegian fairy tale on which it is based, but I soon discovered that a number of authors have done their own re-telling of the story. I very much like Pattou’s version. Relatable, well-drawn characters in a story that moves along nicely.

I did notice something about the language that the Trolls speak. It’s Finnish. I wonder why?

Or maybe I’ve got that wrong, and modern Finns actually speak Trollish?

[wagner5sarah35 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An excellent read! This story presents a world that is both familiar and new to escape into and an adventurous heroine to follow as the story progresses. And, of course, a few trolls thrown in for good measure. Those interested in YA fantasy and fairy tale retellings would certainly enjoy this book.

[yvonnekins · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a retelling of the fairy tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon, which if you aren't familiar with is basically Beauty and the Beast meets Cupid and Psyche.Admittedly, my rating is biased because this book is one I loved when I was younger and I didn't love the writing so much this time around or even the characters or their relationships, but I did feel nostalgic for all of it. It's probably more of a 3-star in quality, but my younger self really loved this so much that I can't give it less than a 4 for my adulthood re-read.

[pardamustang · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

East by Edith Pattou is a delightful re-imagining of the fairytale 'East of the Sun, West of the Moon’. Rose is born into a large, poor family, to a superstitious ma. The family is starving, the farm failing, when a mysterious visitor approaches them and says he will give the family an improvement of their fortunes in exchange for Rose. Oh, yeah, and this stranger is a bear. A great white bear. Rose takes the decision upon herself and leaves with him. He takes her to his enchanted castle, where they slowly get to know one another. When he leaves one day, Rose follows, determined to help him. Her journey takes her to the reaches of her world, all the way to the home of the Troll Queen which lies 'East of the Sun, West of the Moon’. Along the way, Rose gets to really know herself and the depths of her feelings for her new friend. This was a lovely read! It's rich with detail, and the characters are just precious. Pattou did a marvelous job of researching to enhance her tale. I loved getting a real feel for Norse culture of the time (1700s). The perspective shifted between characters, including the Troll Queen, allowing the reader to really get to know all of them. I actually enjoy multiple perspectives in books, as long as it's made clear who we are with at the time. Recommended for any who love fantasy!***Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. This book was reviewed for the Fantastic Flying Book Club.

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've read lots of versions of the original tale, and of the related story, Beauty and the Beast, and loved most of them.  And I love novel length fairy tales, for example Shannon Hale's Goose Girl series.  I thought I'd love this.  However, there's not enough original material.  All it is, really, is a novel-length retelling.  It's not richer; it's not twisted; it doesn't go into very much depth.  All it does, really, is explicate what is left to the imaginations of the readers of the shorter stories.

Still, there is a bit more about the trolls that is mildly interesting.  And the quest is mildly engaging.  If you're interested, don't be put off by my words.  I do think it's a good enough book that I'm glad I read it, and I give it 3.5 stars, and I do recommend it to you if you've been meaning to read it.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

03/11/18 - Since discovering that a sequel to this book has finally been written and is to be released soon, I decided to re-reading this classic fairytale. Even though I first read it over ten years ago, I still found it thoroughly enjoyable.01/01/2008 - This is a beautiful, gentle story based on a Norwegian fairytale. The story is told through five different voices, but predominantly Rose's. At times the language is almost lyrical and the story has a touch of "Beauty and the Beast" about it. A lovely book to read by the fire on a cold, winter's day.

[jaz34-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the book that I've re-read the most frequently, and that has to do with Pattou's masterful storytelling! The characters are endearing and the journey Rose and her bear endure is heart wrenching.

[mirandalg14 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I didn't like this quite as well as the Jessica Day George version, but it was still pretty good.

[racheljohn-2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I haven't read the fairy tale this book is based on. To me, it felt similar to Beauty and the Beast. I thought the book had some wonderful aspects, mixing adventure, real places, map making, shipwrecks and the like. I didn't like the mixed point of views. Especially since its written in first person. In some places it helped, and in others it distanced me from the characters I most wanted to get to know. I felt like for as long as it was, the ending felt rushed and unsatisfying. Having said that, its a good clean read and I would recommend it to any pre-teen and up.

[jenspirko · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely wonderful retelling of a lesser-known but fascinating fairy tale, "East o' the Sun and West o' the Moon." The heroine is smart and strong-willed, adventurous enough to get into trouble and to get out of it, rescuing a prince in the bargain. The multiple points of view weave intricately, like Rose's own handiworks, and the anthropological research underpinning the story (especially for Norway and Greenland) enrich the setting and characters, adding a realistic tenor to the fantasy tone.

[clx8bkwrm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is one of my absolute favorite stories! I never get tired of reading it over and over again. This is just one of those books you'll want to read to your kids. A mix between "The Polar Bear King" and "Beauty and the Beast" this story will enchant you into a world where directions have meaning, the first baby gift has significance and where a young woman goes on an adventure of finding new worlds and falling for a most unexpected creature.

[blairelizabeth · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have read this book several times. I've never read anything else by Edith Pattou, but I love her writing style. East was placed in a vivid, interesting fantasy world. With many fantasy books, authors go into far too much detail to get you immersed in the book's world and culture. But East does this seamlessly, showing you the world created with barely any explanation. It is effortless and a beautiful story. The twist on Beauty And The Beast is also interesting. Even though the story can be cliche, this book makes it new. There is only one thing I didn't like about this book: the fact that the last third of it was extremely boring. While the author was able to immerse you in a world beautifully and had amazing character development, the last parts of the book, and even the climax, I found to be very dull. Whenever I reread this book, I always read only the first half, which is disappointing. The further on you read, the less interesting the story becomes, and the magic that I found in the first part of the book pretty much dwindles to nothing. All in all, though, one of my favorite reads.

[abigailyow · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I have always loved a variety of fairytale retellings. But east, unfortunately, fails to deliver the essence of this Norwegian folk tale - East of the sun, west of the moon.I can't quite put my finger on why it failed to appeal to me but I really had a hard time relating to the book. The alternating POVs was unnecessary in my opinion, because I was only interested in one or two of the many narrators. East was more 'tell' than 'show', which was ultimately, the downfall of this novel. Note: Please do not take offence; it is only my two cents.

[debbiemccauley-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

North-born Rose lives in a rural village in Norway. She is the youngest child of a poor mapmaker and his superstitious wife. North-born babies supposed to be wild, unpredictable, and often travel to the far ends of the earth. Rose's mother denies that destiny and insists she is east-born. A huge white bear comes to the door one evening and asks Rose to go with him and in exchange her desperately ill sister will be healed and the family will be lifted out of poverty. Loosely based on the folktale, East of the Sun and West of the Moon, the story is told through the voices of various characters which include the troll queen.

[leov_81 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A Nordic tale based on the fairy tale 'East of the Sun, West of the Moon'. Rose and her family's lives change when a huge white enchanted bear enters their home and promises to heal Rose's deathly ill sister in exchange for Rose going with him. And so begins Rose's adventure but will she ever find her way home again. This has been a read that I have really loved and I would recommend it to 9yers to adult

[stephxsu · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

EAST is the tale of Rose, who sacrifices her freedom to save her sister, grows to care for the cursed white bear who is her “captor,” unwittingly betrays him, then goes beyond the ends of the earth to make things right. It’s a classic folktale that never fails to move me, but Edith Pattou’s retelling of “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” went above and beyond, astounding me with its magical rendering of a traditional story and simple literary elements.EAST is not extraordinarily sophisticated in writing style: narration alters between several different voices, and none of them particularly stand out as individual examples of great literariness. However, the magic of EAST lies in how these common elements—straightforward prose, a retelling—fit together. The multiple narrators adds a unique rhythm and scope to the story that makes the whole so much more than the sum of its parts. Edith Pattou sets EAST in historical Europe, and the story traverses lands, cultures, seas, and languages for an astonishing and engrossing read. This is the second retelling of “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” that I’ve had the pleasure of reading, and I’m astonished at the different directions in which each author took this folktale. I’m no history buff, but I was mesmerized by Edith Pattou’s description of the various people that Rose meets on her journey, by the variety of people and cultures that existed over great distances at the same time.Words fail me when I try to describe an extraordinary book; indeed, there is no part of this book that was not amazing, and thus there is no part that I can describe well. There is a reason I still see this book in bookstores: it has the rare lasting power that only the most accomplished of fantasy reads possess.

[taleofnight · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

East is a retelling of the fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon. Rose has to stay with White Bear in a castle dug into the side of a mountain. She doesn't know for how long or how safe she really is, but she goes along with it. She keeps herself busy by weaving and telling stories to White Bear and by trying to figure out the mysteries of the White Bear. And at night she has a visitor who comes into her room and sleeps next to her every night. There's never a light for her to turn on to see who the visitor. This bothers Rose the first few nights, but then she grows used to it and is even comforted by the strangers presence at night. When she breaks the rules of the castle she is sent on a wild journey to the north to get her White Bear back and make up for her betrayal to the bear....And that's only half the book. The first half goes on about Rose's life at home and her mother's superstitions. Rose's parents lied to her about being East bairn instead of her real birth direction, North, all because of her mother superstitions. When Rose finds out, she gets mad and runs off with the White Bear. Blah, Blah, Blah, lets get to the good part!I have read two other stories that are a retelling of East of the Sun, West of the Moon (Ice by Sarah Best Durst and Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George) So I knew what to expect for the most part. I liked Pattou's version, but it wasn't my favorite. It stretched out for too long, and after almost 500 pages I felt like it could have been cut down a bit.The story also switched point of views. Rose's point of view was the majority but her brother, Neddy, the Troll Queen, White Bear, and Rose's dad also had their POV's here and there. Usually the switching of that many POV's bugs me but Pattou pulled it off nicely. I liked getting to read what was happening back at Roses home while she was away with White Bear.I got a little bored at times though and found myself thinking about other things as I read, but then the story would pick up again. I expected more magic to be involved, but it seems Pattou was trying to weave some reality into the story. There weren't any winds mentioned, and the Troll Queens castle seemed like it was placed somewhere anyone could reach it if they really tried.So, I was a little iffy after reading East. I didn't love, and I didn't hate it. I just got a little bored at times. But I did enjoy reading Rose's journey through the north and all the things she encountered along the way.

[sweetsapling · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A lovely retelling of a classic fairy tale ( or maybe more than one). Simply told, compelling.

[bell7_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ebba Rose was the youngest in a large family. Her brother, Neddy, looks after her and she drives her mother, Eugenia, to distraction because, like a north-born child, Rose can't help wandering. Then her sister Sara becomes sick, and a strange, sentient white bear offers to make her well if Rose comes with him.This is a retelling of the Norwegian fairy tale, "East of the Sun, West of the Moon," a tale with which I was completely unfamiliar before reading Pattou's re-imagination of it. The locations such as Njord and Fransk, sounding familiar yet strange, and the existence of a White Bear and Troll Queen as narrators along with Rose, Neddy, and their father, blend reality and fantasy giving the story a surreal atmosphere. Somewhere in the reading, I stopped worrying about it so much and the narrative began to click for me. I wish that Rose's and the White Bear's relationship was explored a bit more; their camaraderie seems suddenly strong to me. Now, however, I have to go look up the original tale.

[cmbohn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Themes: adventure, superstition, trolls, seafaring, magic, love, familySetting: Norway, more or lessRose is the youngest of a family of eight. Her highly superstitious mother insists that Rose is an East, according to the direction in which she was facing when she was born, which means Rose is destined to be an obedient, home-loving daughter. But the truth is that Rose is a North, born for adventure, wandering, exploration. Rose is restless, but doesn't question her fate until the white bear arrives. The bear has been watching her. If Rose will go with him, he promises good health and fortune for her family. Her mother agrees, but her father refuses. Rose defies him and sneaks out to meet the bear and ride away with him.If you have spotted this as a retelling of the fairy tale "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" then you probably have a good idea of the plot of this book. It sticks pretty closely to the traditional story. But the fun in a fairy tale retelling is not so much in unexpected plot twists as it is in the blend of the familiar tale and the writer's skill at creating characters that the reader can love and new little things that make them smile. This book does a very good job at all of those things.Rose is certainly a very smart, independent girl. She doesn't even seem to think twice when a bear shows up promising adventure. But when she begins the next stage of her adventure, her stubbornness will save her life.I liked this one a lot. I loved Jessica Day George's version of the same story, Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow a little more, I think, but this one is very good. 4.5 stars

[emperatrix_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

From beginning to end, I was enchanted by the novel and could not put it down! I was almost sad to reach the end and know that the story was over, but like the best of fairy tales, I know that this is a story that I will return to again and again.~*~spoiler alert~*~East begins with the mysterious contents of a box found in an old attic. The discovery reveals a series of objects and a selection of writings--a record of a most fantastical journey to the ends of the world and beyond.Eugenia knows that she will have seven children, as surely as she knows that the sun will rise in the east. One child for each point of the compass rose, except North. Her husband does not put much stock in her superstitious beliefs regarding birth-directions, but he humors his wife and shares in the joys of family life; what does it matter the direction a child is facing when they are born? Seven children are born and Eugenia's wish is met, until one of the girls is lost. There must be an East in the family and Eugenia will do whatever she must to ensure that this is so, even lie.Ebba Rose, Ebba for East, is born to replace Elise. She knows this and finds it difficult to replace her patient, East-born sister when she feels a constant restlessness and desire for adventure. Rose dreams of the adventures that she will have in the company of her imaginary white-bear, but what if the adventure is more than a dream?Rose's tale is told by five distinct voices: Rose, her brother Neddy, her father, the White Bear, and the Troll Queen, each adding a different perspective to the narrative. The voices blend together seamlessly to add depth to the tale, resulting in what is one of the best fairy tale retellings I have read since Robin McKinley's Beauty and Rose Daughter.Rose is a brave and strong-willed heroine, her character developing as she journeys to the frozen north on a quest to find the land that does not exist. The story is comparable to Cupid and Psyche, Orpheus and Eurydice, and Beauty and the Beast. The combination of myth and realism make Rose's tale stand out as a sort of history of events; the reader almost imagines that these events might have happened.Gricel @ things-she-read.org

[lindentree_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I picked this one up at the library on a whim after opening it up to a random page and finding that I liked the author's prose. I'm not usually a fan of first-person anything, especially not when the narration cycles between characters, but I thought that Pattou managed it well.There were definitely a few tropes that I would have liked to see handled more subtly -- I'm not going to complain about a stereotypical this or that in a book that's this rooted in myth, but I think that the ending could have been woven in a bit more seamlessly, and the villain portrayed a touch more dimensionally. Certain points in the plot require a bit of a stretch of the imagination to work.Over all, it's definitely worth the full afternoon it took to read. I enjoyed the narration and thought that the story was very sweet, and both Rose and the bear were engaging characters.

[woodcat_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Simply wonderful, magical. Loved it

[dunemanic-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

East is based on the Nordic fairy tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon. I grew up watching a film based on the tale called The Polar Bear King and East is yet another version of this beautiful tale.In Pattou's version, Rose is the youngest child of a farmer who wishes for adventure. After a series of events see her family evicted from their farm and a sister deathly ill Rose makes a deal with the "white bear". She will go with him and he will help her family.To reveal anything else would ruin the reimagining, since all the rest of the Myth is present.At first I was annoyed with Pattou's version. I'm a pretty hardcore 3rd Person Limited supporter. This book is written in First Person Limited and from the POV of at least 5 different characters, one of which is the bear but I'll get to that in a sec. After about 80 pages I got used to the First Person style and now that I've finished I can appreciate Pattou's approach. Each character has their own definite voice. Rose gets the majority of the "air time" but the most interesting POV is that of the Bear. His chapters are written in verse. Sparse, halting poems that do more to establish the bear's character than any inner monologue would, and it keeps the mystery going.I finished the book in a night, not because it was short, it just clears 500 pages, but because I REALLY wanted to know what was going to happen. The major moment of the story (present in all incarnations) is written almost breathlessly. And the conclusion, while imminent, was not overly sweet or completely predicitable.The novel DOES have it's problems. Some things seem far too convenient and I hated the presentation of the Troll Queen. Dumber than a box of rocks. The main "boss battle" at the end of the novel was severely stunted, but Pattou's descriptions of the arctic and the slow and building relationship she writes between Rose and the white bear makes this a definite read.

[francescadefreitas · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This story of East of the Sun, West of the Moon was just wonderful. The sense of time and place, even of cold, was so strong, I felt I was visiting the characters. The different viewpoints were well differentiated and added tension and depth of emotion to the tale. Delightful writing.

[talesofegypt · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An epic tale of love and destiny!!lovely book. enjoyable to all!!

[mistressdebrina · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely adored this book! It is a real keeper - full of magic, spinning, weaving, castles, polar bears, ice, travel, funny, feisty, adorable and frightening characters! I adored it for the beauty of its storytelling and the magic of its ending. I implore you to read it! It's gorgeous!!

[patricia_poland_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A delicously satisfying young adult novel. Good twist on the "Beauty & the Beast" fairytale. A mapmaker & his superstitious wife have 7 children, each born facing a direction of a compass. Rose, a child conceived to take the place of a dead child, is born facing North--the one point her mother refused to have a child born too. (North-born's have wanderlust) Rose must leave her family and travel with a white Bear in order to save them (or so she believes) and therein lies a tale of adventure, romance, mystery & of course, the discovery of one's true self.

[yehudit_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This retelling of East of Sun, West of the Moon was hard to put down, especially with its short chapters that convince you to read one more... and just one more... The switch of narratives keeps the story fast paced and interesting.

[llamkin_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A detailed retelling of the Classic folktale "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" collected by Abjornsen and Moe. The Heroine is determined to follow her heart. She refuses to give up in the face of extreme danger and finds help when she least expects it.