It all starts on the morning the letter D disappears from language. First, it vanishes from Dhikilo’s parents’ conversation at breakfast, then from the road signs outside and from her school dinners. Soon the local dentist and the neighbor’s dalmatian are missing, and even the Donkey Derby has been called off.

Though she doesn’t know why, Dhikilo is summoned to the home of her old history teacher Professor Dodderfield and his faithful Labrador, Nelly Robinson. And this is where our story begins.

Set between England and the wintry land of Liminus, a world enslaved by the monstrous Gamp and populated by fearsome, enchanting creatures, D (A Tale of Two Worlds) is told with simple beauty and warmth. Its celebration of moral courage and freethinking is a powerful reminder of our human capacity for strength, hope and justice.

Sending this out as a wishlist RABCK, enjoy :)

Thank you for this wishlist rabck!

When I added this to my wishlist I hadn't realised that it was a children's book. But actually, my 8-year old son found the idea of all the missing Ds quite appealing so he asked me and my husband to read it to him straight away.

The quality of writing, as might be imagined from Michel Faber, was much more sophisticated than an average children's book and some sections were rather obviously intended to boost vocabulary. I know it's supposed to be a tribute to Charles Dickens but I didn't really see that much evidenced throughout the story tbh. It's a gentle but intriguing fantasy story with the non-traditional twist that the central character is an immigrant to Britain. I really liked the fact that Dhikilo came from Somaliland and had a strong sense of identification with her homeland. It made a change from all the stereotypical middle-class English children who usually head off into fantasy worlds.

If I read this as a typical novel for myself, I might have been disappointed. But reading it aloud to my son (and often struggling to do so given the lack of Ds and strong accents of some characters lol!) was a very pleasurable experience. My husband enjoyed it too.

If you are new to bookcrossing - welcome and congratulations for finding a book! Please leave a journal entry to let me and any other readers know where it has gone and what you thought of it.