Juniper

The key to true wisdom comes from deep inside - this is what Ninnoc, Cornish princess and erstwhile 'doran' (or wise woman), must learn. The lesson is not taught by Euny, her doran godmother: rather she sets the paths which lead Ninnoc to a fuller understanding of her own potential. Her first real test comes when she must lift the spell of sorcery laid by the witch, Meroot. This is about the triumph of good over evil - it's also about the internal struggles for self-knowledge and understanding which beset us all. A wise book, indeed; the more distinctive for the very human qualities of its heroine. It's hard to identify with a remotely perfect figure - here, we are never asked to do so.