Book Title: THE MOONSINGERS
Character Name: Ismay Gebhardt
How would you describe your family or your childhood?
I grew up on the Granite Coast, a rather cold and stark city, around a good number of very conventional people (who noticed quickly that I was not). Despite my sister Iona’s best efforts to help, I never mastered either small talk or knowing when to leave things alone.
What was your greatest talent?
I have two – getting myself into unfortunate situations, and uninterrupted reading. To the latter point, my father always says it’s not healthy to stay shut up in the library for so long, but these Gothic romances aren’t going to read themselves.
Significant other?
Oh, nobody would bother courting me after what happened. At least, nobody in Port Skerry would; who knows what sort of romance might spring forth in the more rural reaches of Netherbrightshire. I’m certainly not thinking of anything at the moment, however, apart from finding a suitable teaching post.
Biggest challenge in relationships?
Meddling.
Where do you live?
I have recently relocated to a small village called Glenmaidens, which I’m sure you’ve never heard of apart from its summer festival, all to do with the harvest and some sort of superstition about fairies.
Do you have any enemies?
Marceline MacDonald, who will be far too busy excelling at everything to read this. There is also a man with over starched shirts in this village who strikes me as fair suspicious.
How do you feel about the place where you are now? Is there something you are particularly attached to, or particularly repelled by, in this place?
Glenmaidens is very remote, but very lovely, and the giant oak is a thing to behold indeed. The people here confuse me somewhat, but so did many people in Port Skerry, my home city. I can’t explain it, but there is something unusual in the air here that holds a sense of wonder. My parents would say I’m leaning too much on local folklore, but maybe they only lack imagination.
Do you have children, pets, both, or neither?
They’re not my own children, but the three young girls under my tutelage are fascinating indeed.
What do you do for a living?
I am NOT a governess. I am a tutor. The children should govern themselves.
Greatest disappointment?
Adults who don’t listen to children.
Greatest source of joy?
New stationery.
What do you do to entertain yourself or have fun?
I read, and I do love to take a turn about the countryside on my bicycle.
What is your greatest personal failing, in your view?
The way my bouffant always slips to one side, and certainly nothing to do with The Incident.
What keeps you awake at night?
Recently, the strange music that seems to be drifting in through the window.
What is the most pressing problem you have at the moment?
The bloody train line terminates at Netherbright, and really they ought to extend it further so this village isn’t as disconnected from modernity. I’m sure they would benefit from the ease of access! I took it upon myself to write to a man at the transport bureau, but usually nothing comes of these sorts of requests.
Is there something that you need or want that you don’t have? For yourself or for someone important to you?
A strong reference of employment would be useful.
Why don’t you have it?
That’s plenty of questions already, ta!
THE MOONSINGERS by Robyn J Pritzker
(Deluxe Edition): A Cozy Fairy Tale
In a quiet glen beyond the reach of the railway lives a peculiar family who knows the best magic is the kind found in ordinary moments.
When Ismay Gebhardt is dismissed from yet another teaching post after an unfortunate accident (which everyone survived!), she accepts a last-chance job as a private tutor in sleepy Glenmaidens village. The town is brimming with natural beauty, uncanny traditions, and earnest locals, none more unusual than her three young pupils—the Underhill sisters—and their puzzling father.
Determined to make herself useful after several catastrophic lessons with the unbiddable girls, Ismay writes to the transport bureau suggesting an extension to the train line, hoping to bring Glenmaidens into modernity. As usual, Ismay’s good intentions lead to chaos with the arrival of the bureau’s frustratingly thorough officer, Hamish Breck, whose railway plans threaten not only the glen’s tranquility, but also the ancient oak tree at its heart. Amidst a mess of her own making, Ismay unearths Glenmaidens’ enchanted secret: the Underhills, like many villagers, are fairies who settled in the mortal world in search of a gentler life, and the oak is their only bridge back to the moonlit realm of the fantastic.
As summer heat rises, Ismay schemes with her magical neighbors to prevent the extension, each day finding herself more entangled with the charming, persistent bureaucrat. With her newfound family, the way between worlds, and her heart all at risk, Ismay must decide how much she would bargain to finally embrace the wonder and belonging she’s always wished for.
Suspense Gothic | Romance Fantasy [ Sourcebooks, On Sale: July 14, 2026, Trade Paperback / e-Book / audiobook, ISBN: 9781464262890 / eISBN: 9781464262906 ]
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About Robyn J Pritzker
Robyn’s PhD investigated boundary transgressions in fairy tales and the Gothic. When not writing, she is usually meandering Edinburgh on foot.
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