Keith Donohue's freshman novel was inspired by the Yeats poem, which was in turn inspired by the myth of the changeling, which tells of hobgoblins that steal children in the night in order to take their place in the human world. Donohue's approach is a refreshing and well crafted mix of fantasy and realism. He takes the ancient myth and puts it in Pennsylvania in the 1950s-70s.
The tale is told from the point of view of both the stolen child, Henry Day, (who lives as a hobgoblin in the nearby woods awaiting his turn to steal the life of another boy), and from the point of view of the changeling that took Henry's life after hundreds of years living as a hobgoblin after he himself was stolen years and years ago. It's not as complicated as it sounds. The book is ultimately about identity, family, love, and growing up. Deserving of all its praise.
But what do you think?