Inkheart
by Cornelia Funke
The (a) story follows Meggie Folchart, a young girl who lives with her father in a house full of books. They lead a peaceful, if somewhat inconsistent, existence, traveling here and there for her father’s job and sharing their deep love of stories with each other in between.
But one night, a stranger comes knocking at the door, bearing a warning about a villainous figure named Capricorn. Suddenly, Meggie’s life is turned upside-down, and the shocking secret her father has tried desperately to keep from her over the years is slowly brought to light. A secret involving wicked characters and strange creatures. A secret that all comes back to a mysterious book called Inkheart.
The (A) story is about the power of words, and the stories that connect us—not only through our contemporary enjoyment of them, but throughout history and across cultures as well. But I think it is also about finding “home,” finding our place in the world, in whatever way that entails—be it through finding a lost loved one, a place you left behind, or simply finding comfort in dark times (even if it’s only between the pages of a book).
This is my favorite book.
I have said in the past that Inkeart is my “default” favorite book because, really, I have so many I can’t just name one. But coming back to it after a few years has sealed it for me: this is my favorite book. Truth be told, I even slept with it under my pillow for a couple of nights after finishing it, because I just didn’t want to return it to the shelf right away. It is most definitely a book for book lovers, as well as a book for readers who enjoy a happy ending, but don’t mind crossing through a lot of darkness to get there.
Reading it as the person I am now, I did notice that a few things about the story hit me differently. But in the long run, my favorite character is still my favorite character; the villains still strike a little bit of terror in my heart whenever they make an appearance; and the overall concept, of course, is still one that I adore.
No matter how much the years may change me, I know this story will always hold a special place in my heart.
