“The island had come to seem one of those places seen from the train
that belong to a life in which we shall never take part.”
First Line: "Roger, aged seven, and no longest the youngest of the family, ran in wide zigzags, to and fro, across the steep field that sloped up from the lake, to Holly Howe, the farm where they were staying for part of the summer holidays."
Father's telegram: "Better Drowned Than Duffers If Not Duffer Wont Drown"
And with that telegram and receiving both their parents permission, the Walker Children - John, Susan, Titty, and Roger set sail for their boating and camping adventures on Wild Cat Island. The story is one of innocence and imagination and part of the fun is all the adults in the children's lives take part in the children's adventures, supporting their imaginations as they play at being pirates as well as Titty's Robinson Caruso. Mother helps them prepare, trusting the kids to tell her what they need, although she does provide a few hints, as well as adult assistance in the forms of the local dairy farmer for their daily milk,
While camping, they discover two sister's Nancy and Peggy Bleckett who had previously claimed the island the summer before. The kids parlay like real pirates and decide to make a game out of claiming each other's boats which ends up being an all night adventure for the Walkers. Throw in a curmudgeonly uncle who thinks John vandalized his boat, only to find out he didn't, which results in a hilarious battle when all the children try to claim his houseboat. Add in a wild storm, and buried treasure and and the resourceful kids enjoy a summer outing, full of innocence and play as well as a lot of work.
There is quite a bit of detail about sailboats and sailing and nautical language which the author builds beautifully into the story so the reader doesn't realize they've just received a tutorial in how a sailboat works, the care that goes into it, and the mechanics of sailing.
The story brought back memories of my three older sisters and I putting on plays in our carport when we were about the same age as the Walker kids, for our parents and neighbors. And days spent playing and romping through the neighborhood with all the kids on our block, until dusk and dinner. Little did we realize, our mothers were probably keeping an eye out the window to make sure we didn't get into trouble. And reminds me of a mother's intuition, when mother showed up while Titty was alone on the island and kept her company.
Swallows and Amazons is the first book in a 12 book series and while I may or may not complete the series at some point, we do have the next book, Swallowdale waiting in the wings.
David R. Godine, Publisher
361 Pages
Middle Grade historical fiction classic
No comments:
Post a Comment
Unfortunately due to being spammed, all comments will be moderated and will appear after approval. At least I'm not using the dreaded captcha. Thank you for dropping by!