Orfeia

This is a sort of gender-flipped version of the tale of Orpheus, about a mother who ventures into the Kingdom of Death to retrieve the daughter who was taken from her by a jealous, grasping king, and the sacrifice she makes to ensure the life of her daughter.

Scholars of mythology may especially enjoy this story, but all readers can appreciate the vivid, evocative imagery of the prose, and the ethereal illustrations by Bonnie Helen Hawkins which elevate this folktale into something absolutely magical.