Set in northern Rus' during medieval times, The Bear and the Nightingale is the beautifully told story of Vasilisa Petrovna. Marina, Vasya's mother knew that the child's birth would mean her own death but she wanted her desparately. Her own mother had had special gifts and powers and she knew Vasya would inherit them. When Vasya is a young girl, she is primarily raised by Dunya, the ...