Emmaline Thistle is considered "unnatural" in her village of Root because of her curled foot and the odd relationship she has with the cows that saved her when she was left at the edge of the forest as a newborn. In the Flatlands, everyone works hard to eke out a living, gets married, and starts a family; Emmaline has no prospects. But then her world falls apart. her father and other men in the village are taken by soldiers to fight in a war, right before endless days of rain wash away Root. Emmaline finds herself carried away by the flood waters and is rescued by the Oak family. While staying with them, she discovers that she has the ability to churn cream into chocolate -- a delicacy that has been lost for generations. Suddenly everyone wants to have Emmaline and her talent for themselves. And some of them are willing to do anything to make that happen.
This was definitely an interesting story -- how can you not love magic that creates chocolate? -- but there were a couple of things that bothered me. First, the point of view switches between Emmaline and Owen Oak (the son), but they chapters aren't labeled and don't follow any sort of pattern. It's fairly obvious from the context which person is "speaking" within a few sentences, but I found it mildly distracting. Secondly, the plot is rather convoluted and incredibly coincidental (unless the whole country is the size of a large city). The writing isn't bad and the characterization is decent, but the storyline felt a little haphazard. Overall, the book was ok, but not a favorite. This book could be a good choice if you're looking for something that's a little out of the ordinary and light reading.
- If this book sounds interesting, consider these: The Goose Girl, The Two Princesses of Bamarre, or Once Upon a Marigold
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