The Magic We Need: Guest Post by Alison Levy
What is it about fantasy books that draws in such a diversity of readers? Fans of the fantasy genre come in a surprisingly wide range of ages, genders, and backgrounds. Fantasy has such broad appeal that even books intended for young readers are readily consumed by adults. While I’m sure there are many reasons for fantasy’s popularity, I suspect that one reason lies in the genre’s power to heal our emotional wounds. Regardless of what form trauma has taken in our lives, it’s effects can remain long after the causal event has passed. The fire may be out, the ashes may be cleared away, but the scent of smoke will linger in the air, a faint but undeniable reminder of the danger we survived; every time we catch a whiff of it, our minds return to the flames. The people who tell us to “just get over it” miss the point. We don’t dwell on our past. Our past haunts us. It clings to us, follows us, jumps out of the shadows when we’re least prepared and demands acknowledgement. The traumatic ...
