A Tale of Magic Summary
Chris Colfer

A Tale of Magic Overview

Christopher Colfer's novel, A Tale of Magic, is the story of Brystal Evergreen, a girl who lives in the Southern Kingdom. In the novel's make-believe world, girls are punished for reading and magic is illegal. Brystal loves to read. For awhile, her older brother is able to smuggle books to Brystal. When that situation changes, Brystal gets a job cleaning a library. She is thrilled when she finds a room filled with banned books. She begins reading the books for hours and discovers that she is not alone in her dissatisfaction with how girls are treated. It is while reading a banned book pertaining to witchcraft and fairies that Brystal learns she has the magical powers of a fairy. She is one of three children recruited by a fairy named Madame Weatherberry. Supposedly, Madame Weatherberry will be teaching the children how to control their magic. In turn, the world will change how it sees those with magical powers. However, Brystal soon learns that Madame Weatherberry has not been entirely honest. It is up to Brystal and her friends to set the world on a better path. The novel's main themes are the importance of hope, acceptance, and family relationships.