The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel: A Story of Sleepy Hollow

Alyssa Palombo
Dec 21, 2018

This story is the legend of Sleepy Hollow from the point of view of the main female character, Katrina Van Tassel. Having grown up the only daughter to a wealthy farmer and doting mother, Katrina is strong in her opinions, desires and actions. While this strength of character gets Katrina into some mischief, it also allows her to follow her heart and find a deep love with the new school teacher, Ichabod Crane.

When Ichabod first arrives at Sleepy Hollow he stays with the Van Tassel family until he finds the first host family among his pupils. Katrina's father hires him quickly to be her music teacher and through these frequent interactions the couple becomes close. Katrina shares with Ichabod the plethora of ghost stories that Sleepy Hollow is known for, including the story of the Headless Horseman.

However, not everyone is pleased with the budding romance between Katrina, who comes from a wealthy, prominent family, and Ichabod, a school teacher who is striving to make a living. Jealousy and heartache mix with superstition in this page-turning, feminist version of an old legend. 

Reviewed by Library Staff