Joanne Michèle Sylvie Harris is an English author especially known for her award-winning novel Chocolat. Her work is extremely diverse, covering aspects of magic realism, suspense, historical fiction, mythology and fantasy. Her books are now published in over 50 countries and have won a number of British and international awards. In 2013 she was awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List. In August 2007 Joanne Harris published Runemarks, a mythpunk and fantasy novel based on Norse mythology, aimed at both children and adults. Maddy Smith has always been an outsider. She is scarred by this symbol of the old gods, a sign of magic. Being born an orphan girl with a rune mark on your palm is just about the worst way to start things off. Infants and animals are often killed for such offences, and even far from the reach of the Universal City in the village of Malbry, people still hide such signs. It doesn’t help that strange events follow Maddy everywhere she goes. Goblins from the mysterious Red Horse Hill on the outskirts of town are drawn to her and have been seen staring at her from window sills before taking off with stolen food. Belongings are damaged or disappear entirely. People die. No one quite knows what to do with her. As the book progresses Maddy flashes back to her childhood where she learned about runes and Norse legends through the old traveller One-Eye… You can listen online to free English audiobook “Runemarks” by Joanne Harris on our website.
