Synopsis:
Olaf and Essex is set in an alternate New York City where witches live among humans, distrusted and scapegoated by the “Conflict Resolution Department.” A pair of disgruntled witches, Mabel Blackthornudder and her husband, Harvey, kidnap the Chief Magic Detector’s infant daughter. They are intent on filming a ransom video in Central Park to force him to dismantle the Magic Detection Unit until a huge bear appears, and Harvey and Mabel are suddenly more interested in not getting eaten by a wild animal.
Olaf, the bear, bonds with the baby. He’s overcome with the need to protect her, since his mother was killed when he was a cub. When he and his best friend, a fox named Essex, find who they presume to be the parents and attempt to return the baby, they witness Mabel, in a fit of pique, turn Harvey into a frog. Mabel then realizes the baby is an “amplifier”—never before had she been powerful enough to turn her husband into an amphibian! All her lofty goals of helping her fellow witches fly out the window, and she’s consumed with lust for power.
With help from a Shakespeare-loving tree, a pair of (relatively) good witches who’ve tangled with Mabel over many lifetimes, and the spirits of Olaf’s and Essex’s loved ones, the animals set off to find the baby’s mother. Like many twosomes in charge of a baby, they argue over how best to care for her. But when Mabel transfigures herself to look like the mother, and the Chief Magic Detector discovers his daughter is the “amplifier” needed to power the department’s “Vocal Cord Eradicator,” Olaf and Essex must put their differences aside to save the baby and the witches of New York.
Praise for Olaf and Essex:
“This funny, sentimental, and heartfelt tale highlights the importance of family, multi-species or otherwise. Calkosz’s story definitely tugs at the heartstrings before it ends with a memorable denouement.” – Kirkus Reviews
“OLAF AND ESSEX by Patti Calkosz is a beautifully warm and heartfelt story that will stay with readers long after they finish it.” – IndieReader
Author bio:
Patti Calkosz was born in Manhattan and grew up in Queens. She graduated from Duke University with a degree in English. In search of her creative niche all her adult life, Calkosz spent 27 years moving back and forth between New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Being diagnosed with a chronic illness was a wake-up call that set her on the path to both fiction writing and conscious spirituality. The middle grade fantasy book, Olaf and Essex, is her debut novel, which reflects her current spiritual understanding. She currently resides in Brooklyn, NY with her cat, Sweetie. To learn more, please visit PattiCalkosz.com or follow her on Instagram @PattiCalkosz.
Purchase links:
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org
About the Book
Title: Olaf and Essex
Author: Patti Calkosz
ISBN: 9798990143371 (paperback)
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
Price: $12.99 USD (paperback)
Pages: 372
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