Betula Pendula: First Cycle - Spring

"e;In the first volume of Sarah Kassem's highly imaginative Betula Pendula, our hero, the eight-year-old Viktor, learns more than a young boy should have to about life and death. His own life begins to change dramatically when he meets a talking hummingbird named Cristobal. A member of the League of Birds, which is on the verge of a war with the reptiles, Cristobal's appearance coincides with unsettling developments in the relationship between Viktor's parents. Kassem deftly portrays the workings of the mind of a young boy (who is about to face a nightmarish tragedy), and felicitously paints the milieu in which he is growing up. Kassem is an expert at crafting believable characters, and her talent shines like a beacon in the strange new world she has created with Betula Pendula."e; —Justin Courter, Author of the internationally acclaimed novel "e;Skunk: A Love Story"e; and "e;The Heart of It All"e;