Vassa in the Night

In the enchanted kingdom of Brooklyn, the fashionable people put on cute shoes, go to parties in warehouses, drink on rooftops at sunset, and tell themselves theyve arrived. A whole lot of Brooklyn is like that now--but not Vassas working-class neighborhood.

In Vassas neighborhood, where she lives with her stepmother and bickering stepsisters, one might stumble onto magic, but stumbling out again could become an issue. Babs Yagg, the owner of the local convenience store, has a policy of beheading shoplifters--and sometimes innocent shoppers as well. So when Vassas stepsister sends her out for light bulbs in the middle of night, she knows it could easily become a suicide mission.

But Vassa has a bit of luck hidden in her pocket, a gift from her dead mother. Erg is a tough-talking wooden doll with sticky fingers, a bottomless stomach, and a ferocious cunning. With Ergs help, Vassa just might be able to break the witchs curse and free her Brooklyn neighborhood. But Babs wont be playing fair. . . .

Inspired by the Russian folktale "Vassilissa the Beautiful" and Sarah Porter's years of experience teaching creative writing to New York City students, Vassa in the Night weaves a dark yet hopeful tale about a young girls search for home, love, and belonging.

Fábula / Ficção / Jovem adulto