Paperback, 448 pages
English language
Published April 22, 2008 by Eos.
As the oldest daughter, willful, outspoken Sophie knew that her life could lead to nothing but mistakes. When her father dies, her stepmother sends her two sisters out to make their fortunes while Sophie continues to work in the family hattery. As she whispers her thoughts to the hats she trims, the shop begins to grow in popularity, until she offends the Wicked Witch of the Waste. The witch casts a spell turning Sophie into an old woman. Sophie leaves the shop and happens upon the castle of the Wizard Howl. He has a reputation for finding young women and eating their hearts but that doesn't stop Sophie from moving in and turning the lives of the whole castle, including Howl's apprentice and his fire demon, upside down in a battle against the wicked witch and for Sophie's future.
It was easy to notice the elements of this story that inspired the Ghibli film, but the themes were quite different, with more focus on fate and the strengths of age. I enjoyed the characters and the story, and found the plot more cohesive than the film. As a whole, it's a fun fantasy that subverts expectations beautifully.
I'd given HMC a 4/5 on my first read-through, but on my second, I've absolutely fallen in love with this book. It's entirely adorable and full of charm. I remember having a hard time understanding Howl's behavior, but this time everything really clicked into place and felt so entirely heartfelt that I couldn't help but get giddy over the entire ending of the book.
I read this book 10 years ago, and thought that I remembered it, but I really didn’t. I think I was confusing it with one of the author’s other books. I’m surprised that I didn’t remember more, as I’m also the eldest of three sisters.
