Abeni’s Song: A beguiling middle grade adventure

Abeni’s Song by P. Djèlí Clark

P. Djèlí Clark’s 2023 middle-grade adventure novel, Abeni’s Song, kicks off a new series with an engaging heroine, wonderful magic and thrilling adventures. Set in an African forest during the 18^th or 19^th century, Abeni’s Song follows Abeni as she tries to recover her friends and family from an enemy who calls himself the Witch Priest. The Witch Priest has given the adults of Abeni’s village to the “ghost ships.” It is up to her, with the help of a witch called Asha, to bring them home.

The night Abeni was born, a rain came that broke a long drought. Her family calls her “little rain bringer,” as a nickname, and her village celebrates her birthday as part of the annual Harvest Festival. The year she turns twelve, the festival is interrupted by invaders, “storm women,” armed with swords, bows, and tentacles of magical smoke. They take everyone captive, aided by someone in a mask of goat horns. Abeni alone is saved by the forest witch, Asha. Asha takes Abeni on as an apprentice, but the girl is an impatient one. She wants only to rescue her family and friends.

The first half of Abeni’s Song is about her apprenticeship. While the elements are familiar — Abeni has to do chores instead of learn magic, she gets ahead of herself and gets into trouble trying things she’s not ready for — the “how” of these tropes are lively and original. Abeni soon discovers that Asha is far older than she looks, and that she has an ancient, powerful magical enemy. Sensing the approach of her adversary, Asha sends Abeni into the forest on a made-up quest, but Abeni turns back, arriving at the scene of a tragedy. Now, armed only with what she learned in a year, Abeni sets out to save her village.

I liked that the magic had a mind of its own — I loved the room full of pots!

Abeni is a stubborn, impulsive and brave girl who figures things out pretty quickly, all things considered. As she quests for Asha’s sister, who she believes is an even more powerful witch, Abeni assembles a group of fellow questers, who do not get along with each other — or, often, with Abeni.

An adult reader will recognize and predict the plot points right down the line. This didn’t affect my sheer enjoyment of this book. The descriptions, the relationships, and Abeni’s conflicts (often self-inflected) kept the story moving, and endeared Abeni to me more with each page.

I think middle-graders will love the story. I know I did.