East (novel)

East (also known as North Child in the UK and Australia) is a 2003 novel by the author Edith Pattou. It is an adaptation of an old Norwegian folk tale entitled "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" and is an ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults. The novel is written in a style similar to that of Brian Jacques, including the use of a change in point of view in each chapter.

Plot summary

When Arne married the superstitious Eugenia, he agreed to have seven children with her, one for each point of the compass, excluding North, which she believed to be wild and uncontrollable. Her favourite child, East-born Elise, died young and Eugenia had another child to replace her. But Rose, because of an accident, is actually a North-born child. Eugenia was told years before by a skjebne-soke (fortune teller) that any North Child she had would die crushed beneath an avalanche with ice and snow

On the way, the white bear reveals that he cannot remember who he was before he was changed. He has realized that he loves Rose, but thinks that she will not accept him until he can at least know who he is. He returns to the castle in the mountain, where Rose finds him. She tells him at last that she loves him, and he reveals his name to her, Prince Charles Pierre Philippe. They are married, and have four children. The oldest is named Tuki. It is also revealed that they have a child named Nena who, like Rose, is also a north born.

Characters

Rose
A North born child, wild and adventurous. The protagonist of the story, an independent young girl with a wanderlust and curiosity that is surpassed by few. She was prophesied to die, crushed under snow and ice. She was set to be an East-born by her mother Eugenia, but it didn't turn out as planned. Despite this, Eugenia calls her Ebba, because she was "facing East when the birthing began." Her name that her father secretly calls her by is Nyamh.
Charles/Myk/White Bear
A prince who is stolen from his home by the Troll Queen and transformed into the White Bear. A mystical, intelligent bear, who whisks Rose away to a magnificent castle. He has several names throughout this book though his real name is Charles. Later, becomes Rose's husband and an inventor.
Neddy Wilfrid
Rose's elder brother, a North-West child. He is the youngest son of Arne and Eugenia and the second youngest child. He is a bit more conservative and educated than Rose, and loves his youngest sister deeply. Later, in the story, he moves to Trondheim to study with scholars.
Arne/Father
Rose's father. He used to be the apprentice of Eugenia's grandfather, a mapmaker. Instead, he became a farmer, until Rose's sacrifice, which led to Harald Soren having to hire him as a mapmaker. Said to be a Southeast-born.
Eugenia
Rose's mother, A very superstitious East-born woman. Arne worked for her grandfather.
Troll Queen
The antagonist, who lives in the north pole/the land of the dead. A jealous queen who falls in love with Charles and steals him from his home. Her name is said to be "Kattal" and her eyes are mentioned to be green.
Tuki
A Troll boy who makes friends with Rose and helps her find Charles. One of Rose's children is named after him at the end of the book.
Urda
Tuki's mother and servant of the mountain castle.
Malmo
A shaman woman who helps Rose find the Troll city.
Harald Soren
Mostly referred to as Soren or Master Soren, who owned the family's house. He appears to take away Rose's family's house when Rose leaves, but when he discovers that Arne is a fantastic mapmaker, they set up a business together, which Eugenia claims is "because of Rose's sacrifice". He marries Sara.
Sofi
A French woman living outside the mountain castle, who takes Rose in and nurtures her until her health recovered.
Estelle
Sofi's daughter, who befriends Rose. Estelle, as described in the text, wore dark braids.
Thor
A drunken captain with a love for ale who helps Rose reach the North. Ever since his spouse and his son perished in the hands of bandits and thieves, he started drinking to numb the pain of the loss of his loved ones. Before Rose left Thor with Malmo's people, he gave her his leidenstein, which helped her and the human survivors of the collapse of the ice palace to navigate back where they came.
Gest and Goran
Two sailors who work for Thor. When a storm comes, Goran and Gest are thrown overboard. Goran drowns, but Gest survives by clinging to a barrel, and is one of the sources that helps Neddy, Soren and Arne find Rose.
Sara
Rose's older sister who gets sick, a South-born. She marries Harald Soren. In the story, her father characterizes her as a strong-willed child, of which she later confirms when she recovered from her plague swiftly, with assistance from Rose's sarifice.
Nena
One of Rose's children at the end of the book. She was a North-born, just like her mother.
Elise
Rose's older (and deceased) sister, who was an East-born, like Eugenia. She died when she was eight, before Rose was born. She was her mother's favorite, and Eugenia tried to make Rose an East-born to replace her.
Nils Erlend
Rose's oldest brother, the first born. He was a Northeast-born. He moved to Danemark (Denmark).
Selme Eva
Rose's oldest sister, after Elise's death. She was a Southeast-born. She married an ironworker and moved to a distant Njord (Norway) village.
Sonja Wende
Another of Rose's older sisters, a Southwest-born.
Willem
Rose's second-to-youngest brother (before Neddy). He was a West-born. When the family moved to Trondheim, he stayed behind.
Master Mogens
The man who worked for Harald Soren, and made the decision to take away Rose's family's house.

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