Forests Of The Heart by Charles De Lint
01/11/2002 . Source: Lucy A.E. Ward 

Pub: Gollancz. 521 page paperback. Price: £ 6.99 (UK). ISBN: 0-575-07294-6.

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When you open this book, you could be forgiven for thinking that you have accidentally stumbled into someone else's life, as the detail is so rich and convincing. Although dealing with mythological concepts, it is a work firmly set in our modern world. It discusses many prominent issues, such as homelessness, the impacts of war, urban development and life on US Indian reservations.

Drawing equally from both ancient Celtic and Native American cultures, it is a beautifully constructed piece of magic realism that invites you - if only for a short time - to experience 'la época del mito' or 'myth time'. A wonderfully talented storyteller, De Lint describes places and people with such clarity that there seems to be little doubt of their actual existence.

Kellygnow, the artistic commune where most of the pivotal actions occurs, is an idyll with studios and cabins offering total freedom for creative people to explore their potential - a place poetically introduced through the eyes of the central character, Bettina.

"She was given one of the nooks to make her own - a small space under a staircase that opened up into a hidden room twice the size of her bedroom at home. There was a recessed window looking out on the backyard, overhung with ivy on the outside and with just room enough for her to sit on its sill if she pulled her knees up to her chin.

There was also a single brass bed with shiny, knobbed posts and a cedar chest at its foot that lent the room a resonant scent. A small pine armoire. A worn, black leather reading chair with a tall glass-shaded lamp beside it, both 'borrowed' from the library at some point, she was sure, since they matched its furnishings.

And wonder of wonders, a piece of John Early's work: a gray, fire-clay sculpture of the Virgin wearing a quizzical smile, blue-robed and decorated with a halo of porcupine quills cunningly worked into the clay and painted gold."

This description sums up the tone of the novel particularly well. It has a very slow or rather deliberate pace as I have no doubt at all that the author intended it to read this way.

The pace drags most at the beginning unfortunately and it might put off a lot of readers who are not willing to wait for the spectacular grand finalé. You may begin to question just how relevant some of the points made are to the plot, as there are many tangents on music and several characters are wonderfully described, yet serve absolutely no purpose in the story.

The story essentially follows Bettina San Miguel's pathway to becoming a curandera - healer - after suffering a crisis of faith in the traditional beliefs of her ancestors. She resides at Kellygnow and earns her keep as an artist's model, also trading magical fetishes and charms. Her story is twinned with Ellie Jones - a good samaritan, sceptic and sculptor, who receives a commission that draws her to the wilderness of the commune and into a series of reluctant revelations.

Encouraged by her ex-boyfriend, Donal Greer, a lugubrious Irish ex-pat, Ellie is hired by an androgynous recluse to sculpt a mask at Kellygnow. She is delivered to her new residence by Angel Outreach co-worker Tommy and his Aunt Sunday - one of his many wise Native American relatives - who comments on the strength of the magic inside Ellie, much to the young woman's disbelief.

After moving into her new studio, Ellie sees the Hard Men or the Gentry as housekeeper Nuala refers to them, sitting untouched in the snow outside. It is only when Bettina reveals that they are invisible to those without la brujería - geasan or magic - that Ellie begins to realise how strange and potentially dangerous the world she truly lives in can be...
Ancient mysteries begin to threaten the cohesion of her world. What do the spirits want? Where are they from? Why was the original mask made and what is the replica's purpose?

The extraordinary attention to detail will no doubt thrill readers who enjoy the subjects of magic, art, culture and mythology but doesn't really add any new understanding. Sometimes it seems as though detail is obstructing the flow of the tale - you are not given one image, when five or more can be offered, eg 'The bajada here was all thorn and spine as they wound their way between ocotillo, cholla, prickly pear, barrel and saguaro cacti.' I enjoyed the language though, as it creates a full-bodied and immersive atmosphere and shares Bettina's attitude of waiting 'for the mystery to come to her.'

De Lint does a magnificent job of pulling together traditions in this book, creating vivid scenes of religious co-existence and mysticism. The characters are so varied and realistic that you will probably recognise someone you know amongst the cast - sculptors, drunks, store assistants, musicians, siblings, parents, uncles, aunts, spirits, gods, writers and even a Goth (although I would argue the music on that one).

As I said at the beginning, this book is like walking into someone else's life and, at the end of it, I felt like I had walked away from something huge and entertaining but not strikingly original. Even the appeal of los cadejos - rainbow-furred spirit dogs with little hoofs - cannot save me from feeling slightly disappointed, as it explores pre-existing themes and lacks drive in several places.

It is beautiful and opinionated, political and spiritual, insightful but predictable. Reading this book was an experience, which is a highly favourable reflection of De Lint's literary ability. I might not recommend it to everyone but I will certainly seek out more of his work.

Lucy A.E. Ward