Maresi

Only women and girls are allowed in the Red Abbey, a haven from abuse and oppression. Maresi, a thirteen-year-old novice there, arrived in the hunger winter and now lives a happy life in the Abbey, protected by the Mother and reveling in the vast library in the House of Knowledge, her favorite place. Into this idyllic existence comes Jai, a girl with a dark past. She has escaped her home after witnessing the killing of her beloved sister. Soon the dangers of the outside world follow Jai into the sacred space of the Abbey, and Maresi can no longer hide in books and words but must become one who acts.

Maria Turtschaninoff has been writing fairy tales since the age of five. She has been awarded the Finlandia Junior Prize, the Swedish YLE Literature Prize, and the Society of Swedish Literature Prize, the latter on two occasions. She has also been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. Among her favorite authors are Diana Wynne Jones, Lloyd Alexander, Philip Pullman, Ursula K. Le Guin, and C.S. Lewis. Maria has a Master of Arts in human ecology and works full-time as a writer. She lives in Finland.