Uploaded April 2016 | Updated September 2026, 2 minutes ago
Meri Fatin discusses "Magrit" (Walker Books) with its author, Lee Battersby.
Nine-year-old Magrit lives in an abandoned cemetery with her friend and advisor, Master Puppet. Her world is small and insular – even Master Puppet is a creation of her own making, having been built from bones and graveyard junk – but it is home and she loves it ‘with the fierce love that comes with complete possession’. But the life Magrit so carefully curates is disrupted when the stork drops a baby into the cemetery. In defiance of Master Puppet’s warnings, Magrit takes the baby under her wing, setting herself on the path to a heartbreaking discovery. This beautifully written, thought-provoking novel serves up a deliciously spooky tale for young readers, and in doing so poses some big questions – about truth, acceptance, and the stories we tell ourselves.
Meri Fatin discusses "Magrit" (Walker Books) with its author, Lee Battersby.
Nine-year-old Magrit lives in an abandoned cemetery with her friend and advisor, Master Puppet. Her world is small and insular – even Master Puppet is a creation of her own making, having been built from bones and graveyard junk – but it is home and she loves it ‘with the fierce love that comes with complete possession’. But the life Magrit so carefully curates is disrupted when the stork drops a baby into the cemetery. In defiance of Master Puppet’s warnings, Magrit takes the baby under her wing, setting herself on the path to a heartbreaking discovery. This beautifully written, thought-provoking novel serves up a deliciously spooky tale for young readers, and in doing so poses some big questions – about truth, acceptance, and the stories we tell ourselves.
