Our Castle by the Sea
by Lucy Strange (Author)
In this haunting and compelling follow-up to the instant classic The Secret of Nightingale Wood.
Lucy Strange takes a seafaring myth and grounds it in the stark reality of World War II. Growing up in a lighthouse, 11-year-old Pet's world has been one of storms, secret tunnels, and stories about sea monsters. But now the country is at war and the clifftops are a terrifying battleground. Pet will need to muster all her bravery to uncover why her family is being torn apart.
This is the story of a girl who is afraid and unnoticed. A girl who freezes with fear at the enemy planes ripping through the skies overheard. A girl who is somehow destined to become part of the strange, ancient legend of the Daughters of Stone.
"A plot summary can only hint at the satisfaction of reading this tightly interwoven story with its haunting setting and memorable characters." -Booklist (starred review)
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Booklist
Strange uses metaphor deftly and creates chapter endings that leave readers wanting more. A richly atmospheric historical novel.
Publishers Weekly
In this WWII thriller, Strange (The Secret of Nightingale Wood) crafts an evocative portrait of wartime suspicion and intrigue. Narrator Petra (Pet) lives with her older sister Mags, and her English Pa and German Mutti in a lighthouse cottage on England's South East coast--a lighthouse they must paint camouflage green as Britain faces imminent war. In 1939, local authorities drag Pet's beloved Mutti, classified as an "enemy alien" because of her German ancestry, into a tribunal to investigate her loyalties. The authorities rule to intern her indefinitely "as a matter of national security." Divided into three parts, the narrative expertly reveals a web of rumors, doubt, prejudice, and mistrust even within Pet's own family through unraveling secrets about Pet's parents' wedding, Mags's relationship with a local boy, a trip to Dunkirk, and their Pa's charts and logbooks, seized for evidence by the police. Strange seamlessly blends a local legend, of four girls turned into ancient standing stones on the lighthouse's clifftop, with the larger story. A standout historical novel with a memorable protagonist, strongly sketched setting, and a compelling, twisty plot. Ages 8-12. (Apr.)
Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
"[Lucy Strange] gives us a real sense of how war and other people's suspicions can be contagious and fracture the strongest family unit." — The Times (UK)
JUV013000 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | General
JUV022000 - Juvenile Fiction | Legends, Myths, & Fables | General
JUV030050 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | Europe
Families
World War, 1939-1945
Lighthouses
