The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly is a treasure of a book. A highly recommended International bestseller.
Any question that the gift of reading is the ability to empathize with those who are different than ourselves, is entirely erased after meeting Sprout, a heroine who embodies loyalty, sacrifice, courage and love.
A plucky hen despairs as the coop is designed to roll her eggs away from her. Her dream is to sit on just one - she longs to mother a chick. Neck feathers worn from looking through the wire, she can see the Spring flowers outside bud and bloom - she names herself Sprout, because they are free to grow. When her eggs look poor, she is culled with a batch of dead hens - yet, manages to survive. An outcast, she doesn't fit in with the barnyard society - the guard dog, the rooster and chickens, the ducks and geese. She's a sickly looking egg layer who doesn't belong, unwanted.
"Still alive? You're a tenacious one," the dog growled through his bared teeth."
Sprout glanced at him fiercely. "You think I survived out of luck? I've experienced it all. You better not bother me."
Cast out the barn, she survives in the open and with the help of a mallard named Straggler, evades the nightly hunt of the weasel. Against all odds, Sprout discovers an abandoned egg to hatch, and whatever it will be, it becomes the focus of her deeply felt mother's love.
Reminiscent of Charlotte's Web, the animals have likes and dislikes, routines and seasonal habits. All Sprout's energy is focused on the well being of her child, with a feisty spirit that cannot be quelled. Her child is different but a mother's enduring love is universal.
Written by Sun-Mi Hwang, a beloved writer in Korea, this became an instant classic combining children's literature, philosophy, nature writing, and fable. It remained on the bestseller list for over ten years, inspiring the highest grossing animated film in Korean history, as well as a comic, a play, a musical and has been translated in many languages.
A simple and profound tale I am recommending to everyone.
I love Sprout and I burst into tears at the end - both happy and sad.
A gem.
2000 / Tradeback / 134 pages
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