‘Spinning Silver,’ a retelling of ‘Rumpelstiltskin,’ to be featured Big Read book

Naomi Novik. (Photo by Beth Gwinn) Download image

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University’s Department of English is partnering with West Lafayette and Tippecanoe County public libraries to bring Naomi Novik’s “Spinning Silver” to local readers.

“Spinning Silver” is a fantasy novel that re-envisions the fairy tale “Rumpelstiltskin,” interweaving it with Jewish, Russian, and eastern European folklore. The novel tackles topics ranging from legacies of the Jewish diaspora and European antisemitism to coming of age, romance, the ravages of poverty and more in an engrossing fantasy world.

“Spinning Silver” was a finalist for the Nebula and Hugo awards and won the Mythopoeic Award. Novik’s work has been described by the New York Times Book Review as “a perfect tale … rich in both ideas and people, with the vastness of Tolkien and the empathy and joy in daily life of Le Guin.”

Novik is the New York Times bestselling and fantasy award-winning author of “Uprooted” and the historical fantasy “Temeraire” series.

 Copies of “Spinning Silver” will be available at all local libraries and bookstores, and a Big Read calendar of events is forthcoming.

The English department’s Big Read, now in its fourth year, is designed to enrich Purdue and Greater Lafayette through literature. Each year, the department selects a book and creates a calendar of engaging events, including lectures, book group discussions, performances, workshops and author visits. Free copies of the text will be provided this fall to college and high school students, public and community college libraries, lifelong learning organizations and local residents. In the last four years, more than 5,000 books have been distributed. Studies show that book ownership contributes to academic achievement, educational attainment and economic development.

This year’s program is funded by private donors and a grant from Indiana Humanities in cooperation with the national endowment for the humanities.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to today’s toughest challenges. Ranked the No. 6 Most Innovative University in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at purdue.edu.

Writer: Kelsey Schnieders Lefever, kschnied@purdue.edu

Source: Derek Pacheco, dpacheco@purdue.edu