This is an intriguing, wry, and original fantasy novel that reworks classic fairy tale tropes and gives them a surreal turn. The story focuses on young Morton who lives alone on the edge of a forest. He is a misanthropist and his only companions are four toy windup toys: a goat, hen, dog and cat. He likes his life, except that a pesky girl called Hannah keeps intruding.
Then one day, a storm hits. Morton's house is flung into the forest, scattering his treasured windup toys. Morton is determined to risk life and limp to retrieve them. Along the way, he encounters an amnesiac old man called Cuthbert. Together, they have many weird adventures. Among the frightening creatures they encounter are Mara, the spider woman, and Loki, the watery ghost looking for an eternal companion.
Will Morton find his toys again? Will Cuthbert regain his memory? Will Loki trap Hannah? And will Mara triumph over Morton and Cuthbert?
