Some book titles are a feast and a pleasure in themselves.  Glenda Millard’s new book The Naming of Tishkin Silk is just such an invitation to a book feast.

The sumptuous art work on the cover, as well as the black and white illustrations throughout the chapters, add mystery and an ethereal quality to this novel.

Griffin is the only boy in a big family of girls.  This is not the only unusual thing about Griffin; he belongs to the Silk family who home-school their children.  That is, until Mama went away.  The reason for Mama’s absence gradually unfolds as we are led through the plot by a Griffin who is bullied at school, befriended by Princes Layla and provided for in practical and creative ways by grandmother.

Glenda adds a touch of the supernatural to her novel with its haunting central problem.  A problem Griffin eventually confronts and grows spiritually until the crowning moment of the novel when “The Naming of Tishkin Silk” occurs.

There are many beautiful passages throughout  the novel as Glenda demonstrates simply and emotively her strong grasp of sensory detail.  Here’s a tempting sample “The bottom part of the sky was the colour of pumpkins and the top, where the stars were, was the colour of Daddy’s Bluey jacket.” 

Family is a strong central pivot of Glenda’s writing to date and Tishkin Silk explores a new dimension.  Glenda has used family rituals and passed down traditions, like daisy chains, dressing up and naming days, to concretely define an issue that was once socially and emotionally covered over.   

This is sensitive reading matter, rich reading matter.  A great read for ages 8 upwards.

Review by Lorraine Marwood

© 2003 Lorraine Marwood