Wise Child

Wise Child by Monica Furlong, 1987. Juniper is an unusual woman in the community where she lives. Wise Child knows that she originally came from Cornwall, and now, she lives alone and unmarried. People also know that she practices magic and doesn’t go to church. Yet, although people are a little suspicious about her for that, they still call on her for help when someone is very ill because she is an excellent healer and can frequently help when others can’t. Wise Child (a nickname given to her by her family) finds herself alone at the age of nine. Her mother, Maeve, had left her with her grandmother years before and her father, Finbar, is a sailor who is often away. While her father is away, Wise Child’s grandmother dies, and the community has to decide where Wise Child will live until her father returns. She wants to live with her aunt, but her aunt and uncle are poor and already have trouble providing food for their children. After church one day, the village priest asks the…