In the Kingdom of the Fairies: A Memoir of a Magical Summer

When Susan Coyne was five years old her family went, as always, to spend the summer in a cottage on Lake of the Woods in Western Ontario. One of their neighbors was an elderly retired school administrator and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Moir, whose garden was one of the local wonders.

Nearby was a ruined cabin now inhabited, Susan was assured, by elves; all that remained of it was a moss-covered fireplace, a miniature enchanted castle with tunnels and ramparts. If you leaned in close you could hear the hum of elves living and working deep within. Susan swept the heart, filled walnut shells with water, and left a small tribute of flowers. One day when she visited the fireplace she found a letter waiting for her; it was from a princess fairy. and so began a summer's correspondence that would nourish a lifetime.

Susan later knew that the letters were written by Mr. Moir, with whom she stayed in touch over the years. But to her they always remained pure magic, a pathway into the worlds that words alone can create. Here is a memoir for children of all ages - to be read, read aloud, reread, remembered.

J.R.R Tolkien's acclaimed trilogy Lord of the Rings places New Zealand at the center of action, but the summer of '63 Western Ontario became a playground of fairies, kingdoms, fantasy, and a budding friendship for one five-year old girl. Author Susan Coyne relives and reflects on her magical summer In the Kingdom of Fairies.

While on an excursion at the family cottage, Susan stumbles onto a fireplace wedged between her house and the next-door neighbors. Her father's rationale is that the fireplace was built by elves. Intrigued, Susan leaves small gifts and flowers. The kind gestures prompt a correspondence from character, Princess Nootsie Tah through Queen Mab and Susan.

Susan strikes up a friendship with her neighbor Mr. Moir and shares her secret correspondence. Moir a good-natured old man is knowledgeable about the princess fairy Nootsie Tah and revels in Susan's curiosity and merriment in fairies and all things magical.

Nootsie Tah and Susan continue their exchange of letters and drawings while Susan's friendship with Mr. Moir blossoms, until it is time for her to go back to school in Toronto. After that summer, Susan's foray with elves and fairies stop. Nevertheless, her relationship with Mr. Moir never wanes even with the daily distractions of school and friends.

Ten years later when Susan's father sends her the old letters and cards that were exchanged, she discovers that the fairies and elves she communicated with were actually Mr. Moir.

In the Kingdom of Fairies is a true tale mingled with fantasy and friendship. Susan and Mr. Moir's friendship is uncomplicated in a complicated world making that summer one that will be etched in her mind forever.

This true story is a great book that shows how one caring person can make a difference. Princess Nootsie Tah obviously cherished the classics and sprinkled much of that love into the letters (the allusions are brilliant) that fired the imagination of a child. The letters are incredibly written as Mr. Moir treats his young friend with respect and intelligence. Perhaps starting with that one summer provided the foundation to the dream of becoming an actress that Susan Coyne later fulfilled. IN THE KINGDOM OF FAIRIES is a strong bio of a child and an adult sharing meaningful social values.

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