Ari and the Barley Queen

The title character Ari could have stepped out of a traditional folk tale straight into the day before yesterday. Son of a monstrous, unscrupulous mother and a faint-hearted father, he catches a glimpse of a life that would be to his liking when he encounters a young woman who …. but you have to read the novel to find out how the rest of Ari's life pans out.