A NEW fANTASY NOVEL FOR CHILDREN (AGED 8+)
ILLUSTRATED wITH
wATERCOLOURS AND pHOTOGRAPHS
Publication date: 22nd July 2024
A FANTASY ADVENTURE STORY
BY
Maria de Fátima Santos
This exciting novel for children takes the form of a tale told by a grandmother to her granddaughter. Set in the Traveller Community and against the backdrop of spectacular and mystical locations in Scotland, the book explores the age-old art of storytelling, Celtic mythology, the cultural value of traditional languages, the power of nature and the bond between generations.
In addition to being a fantasy adventure that will inspire the imaginations of children, Serendipity also introduces children to some vocabulary from the traditional language spoken by the Scottish Traveller Community. As well as the Celtic mythology of Lugh (the sun god), the Cailleach (the goddess of the ancestors) and the alphabet of the trees (OGHAM) created by the Celts are also woven into the enchanting narrative.
“Silence reigned in Titania’s Royal Court:
’We’ve longed for your people, human child, to come to our Kingdom from a place of pure love for nature. Belonging and place are of the most vital importance to our existence, and we need a human child like you to bring them back home. We share the same breath of life. Because of this, the People of Peace value you very much. We give you a sense of purpose to defeat the Giants of the underworld and save Truth, Beauty and Goodness,’ the Queen explained.”
Thank you to Magdalena Zeechin for holding the camera for me.
Thank you to the Table Read’s team.
Thank you for watching it.
When the Guardian Angel of Nature’s Secrets appears disguised as an elderly musician, a magical adventure unfolds for a little girl called Gaia. Every long journey begins with one small step….
Thank you to Dilton Silva for being the cameraman in the right place & right moment.
Thank you to Arkbound’s Team.
Thank you for watching it.
Maria’s book recommendations
on Shepherd’s:
“Explore, discover and read
Shepherd, an independent book platform, created by the entrepreneur Ben Fox, designed to help readers and authors.”
REVIEWS:
“ (…)if you are looking for a new children’s book for their summer reading programme then look no further than ‘Serendipity’ (…) this beautiful fantasy tale is inspired by nature, Celtic mythology and picturesque Scottish locations.”
Linda Hobden - Bootsshoesandfashion
(…) So when the author, Maria de Fátima Santos, asked me if I would consider reading her book, I was delighted to do so as it is about the traditional traveller stories which are passed on from the older generations to the next. It is a fantasy story aimed at middle grade readers. It is clearly a story from the oral tradition, when the travellers sat cosily around a camp fire relating stories to one another. (…) The illustrations are very evocative and they have been well executed and selected for inclusion in the book. (…)”
Annie Elliott - Left on the Shelf Book Blog
What People Are Saying:
“…a magical adventure…The writing is beautiful, bringing the Scottish countryside to life with a wonderful mixture of folklore threaded through…Serendipity is a book to treasure.”
Jera’s Jamboree blog, 17 July 2024
“…This short story embodies wistful writing to echo the oral tradition of Celtic society, where stories are passed between generations of family across the campfire. In Serendipity, Julia tells her granddaughter Gaia about a brave, young girl who successfully restored Truth, Beauty and Goodness to the Land of the Young by going on a fantastical journey through Titania’s court, aided by the kindness of others who se encounters along the way. …”
Maria Adaway - Goodreads, 31 October 2024
“I think it is a beautiful little story that children (and adults) will love, written with compassion and a deep sense of respect for Nature. It will entice the young reader to ask questions of the world around them, to look outwards, rather than inwards (phones etc) where all natural beauty exists. There lies the story and I congratulate you from my heart.”
JESS SMITH, AUTHOR AND STORYTELLER
“Serendipity is a magical old fashioned fairytale taking the reader on an adventure to find truth, beauty and goodness. It is set in Scotland and brings to life moral values of people who did not worship money and materialism, but held something far deeper and spiritual. Maria gives to children an important message. Her writing is lyrical and poetic. I am an adult reading this and could not put it down until I had read the whole book. Modern day children need this magical experience.”
Ruth Laurie-Hopper
“ A beautiful and mesmerising book for all generations and communities from diverse backgrounds, customs and traditions. (…) reconnects readers to their inner world, ‘landscape psychology”, quests for meaning, and stories of ancient traditions of peaceful human togetherness -, something we all share, creating an appeal which is universal.”
Josef Hafner - Goodreads, 11 November 2024
A word about the publisher, Palavro
“Palavro is an imprint of the Arkbound Foundation, a UK literature charity that supports authors from a range of diverse and disadvantaged background and get published.
The Arkbound Foundation aims to widen access to literature and improve diversity within publishing. Arkbound run projects that empower people from disadvantaged backgrounds and deprived communities to get their voices heard supporting books with important social and environmental themes. They mentor aspiring authors so that they can produce books that are widely read and which dispel negative stereotypes, whilst seeking to build resilience for the most excluded communities through the power of literature and journalism.
Based in Glasgow and Bristol, their founding ethos is about empowerment, positive transformation and accessibility.”
About Maria
Maria was born in Angola and brought up in Portugal. Maria moved to Scotland in 2007 and now divides her time between Portugal and Scotland. Maria has a profound love of the natural world and is deeply interested in regenerative projects in agriculture, horticulture and forestry. She loves photographing nature and landscape - particularly in Scotland. Her writing stems from her passions for nature, Celtic culture and storytelling - all of which she explores in her debut novel, ‘Serendipity’. Maria wrote ‘Serendipity’ as a tribute to her own grandmother.
Media Enquiries:
serendipityenquiries@proton.me
“We shall keep exploring, and at the end of exploration we shall find ourselves back where we started, but able now to see clearly.”