The Lure of Water and Wood

Helen is a wonderful author. The Lure of Water and Wood is an exciting journey through Swedish mythology. I grew up in Sweden and heard many tales of the mythical creatures Näcken and Rå as a child that always fascinated me. The creatures visited me in my dreams at night. Maybe I can blame Näcken for learning how to play the violin. I can highly recommend this book as well as all books by Helen Lundström Erwin ❤️

I loved experiencing all of the layers of history that were revealed in this book, it was so interesting to see new thoughts, ideas, and technologies be introduced into society from the perspective of someone who has witnessed them all happen throughout their long lifetime.

The ignorance of the people throughout history could be felt viscerally in this narrative, and there were times that I just wanted to shake the people in the book and yell at them to wake up! To stop believing the lies! But it is, at the same time, a necessary experience to see the world humans used to live in from the eyes of someone who was there for many generations, and to feel what that was like so that we can remember our very real mistakes as the human race. So I very much appreciated this compelling narrative that does just that.

I felt so drawn to Ra in particular. She was such a beautiful, confident soul that was okay being alone and on the outskirts of humanity. Relished in it at times. I found her story to be a powerful one of accepting and living happily in her purpose and her differences instead of trying to force herself to be like everyone else. That is relatable to all of us, even if we aren't immortal protectors of the forest like she was. Plus she had the coolest homes.

This was a good read that I recommend for lovers of fantasy, history, and human growth.

The novel The Lure of Water and Wood is a realistic vision of 2 mythological creatures that were believed to be REAL in the 17th - 18th century. An amazing fact is the author was able to research actual court cases that took place because people were actually tried for suspicion of being associated with these creatures. The main characters are humanized and are written from these creature’s perspectives so that we can understand how they feel during the trying Pre-Christian times. The artful and deeper creation of the characters set in this evolving time period showcases the changing world views over the centuries.

This novel cleverly wove this epic story while grounding it in research over hundreds of years from an alluring fantasy aspect since it’s written from the mythological creature perspective because they are immortal.
The plot follows the social history and early beliefs and superstitions that couldn't be explained at the time with all the love, drama, and conflict that ensued.
The story development, historical relevance, and relatable personalities of the characters kept me immersed and wanting more right up to the end. I enjoyed every minute of reading this book so I slowed down at the to savor every last bit. I'm stunned by how much it affected me!

The Lure of Water and Wood is a thoroughly enjoyable read with many rewards.
Helen Lundström Erwin's prose is lucid, with chiseled, gem-like sentences set alongside one another with clarity and precision.
The story is as much about Swedish history and society over hundreds of years as it is about the journey of the main characters, and it is fascinating to see how it evolves through their eyes and experiences.
By telling the story through the two main characters, Näcken and Rå, Lundström Erwin allows us a window into what it might have been like for people living in a particular period or through certain events. This narrative stratagem is also highly effective for drawing the reader in and helping them identify with those main characters. Because the characters are immortal, they stand a bit outside the temporal moment even while being immersed within it. Näcken and Rå have a longer historical perspective than the human characters in the book, and that makes them view the events from slightly outside of them, as external observer/participants. While Näcken and Rå are not privileged with the hindsight that we have, their slightly offset point of view is one that we can identify with. Their puzzlement over societal norms as change takes place over the centuries is akin to our own as observers from an even later time. Thus, as we watch events unfold over the course of the book, we are closely aligned with the main characters and can feel their anxiety, uncertainty, joy, and wonder as they progress along their journeys.
Näcken and Rå are appealing, each in their own way. Näcken is the more complex of the two, and Lundström Erwin thoroughly explores his psyche and the extremes of his powerful emotions. Those emotions sometimes cause him to lose control, and the shame and remorse he feels afterward might be seen as mirroring those of recovering addicts when they lapse from sobriety. Interestingly, Rå, as the older of the two, has her own temporal perspective on Näcken, which adds even more depth to the way in which we see him.
The book is peppered with mild humor; even though some terrible things occur, the tone is anything but unrelentingly tragic. It also celebrates love in many forms, including conjugal, parental, and friendly affection. The tenderness and intimacy in a relationship between an old woman and a (physically) much younger man, though not sexual, is incredibly moving and speaks both to the emotional depth of the characters and to the variety of ways we connect with others.
I learned a lot about Swedish history from Lundström Erwin's novel, and my fondness for the characters has lingered since I finished it.
I highly recommend The Lure of Water and Wood as an engrossing, emotionally rich, and stimulating read.

When enchanting, yet dangerous mythical beings encounter humans, the end results can be glorious, deadly or both. The Lure of Water and Wood takes you on an amazing journey of Näcken and Rå, two mythical creatures from Swedish Lore. These immortal creatures experience complicated feelings and thoughts surprisingly human at times. Enjoy the fantasy while exploring and experiencing well-researched Swedish History. Author Helen Lundström Erwin, delivers another story that is difficult to put down and impossible to forget.

"It can be difficult to untangle women from the legend of sorcery and witchcraft. Many of our most famous depictions in folklore and media are female; sorcery, devil worship, sexual promiscuous, witchcraft, and torture have all been accusations leveled at women throughout history often without proof beyond rumor and conspiracy. Women targeted by these accusations often shared one main element in common, they were women alone. She had no husband, no children, no community. The women accussed and brought to trials embodied ideas that the patriarchy feared, female independence, power, and influence. These were women who shunned "proper" society and threatened the very foundation of male power." - Wicked Women: The Podcast

"What struck me, throughout the book, was that the real "monster" people were dealing with, was neither Näcken nor Rå. It was ignorance." - Dot Cannon, Host/Producer, Over Coffee®Podcast

"It is authors like Helen who immortalize the stories and lessons of our histories, inspiring and informing the future histories that we pioneer in each moment." - Cause + Christi XR Design

"Helen Lundström Erwin is able to weave the lives of those involved in the 17th and 18th-century Swedish Sorcery trials by taking the perspective of the accused in a world of hushed tones, hierarchy, and confusion. Her attention to detail places you at the heart of a village struck by scandal, where it's hard to know who or what to believe - you may even find that your sympathies change page after page! Erwin brings the reader into a time when magic, faith, and folk tales coursed through the landscape of the Swedish countryside by crafting together historical facts with fantasy storytelling." - American Swedish Historical Museum