Nature and magic collided the first time I saw deer in a field behind my house. “Look, reindeer,” I called to my dad. “Just deer,” he scoffed. “Reindeer aren’t real.” His booming laughter scared the deer, and they ran. One looked back, maybe in pity, at this stupid kid who thought reindeer actually existed. “Just deer,” I whispered. “Not reindeer.” Magic and wonder melted away. My sister held my hand. “Reindeer are real,” she whispered behind his back. "Not in Ohio, but somewhere. I promise,” she said to my skeptical frown. Sometimes dads are wrong and sometimes magic comes back.
Finnian Burnett lives in small town BC where they see a myriad of even-toed ungulates, none of which are reindeer.