32. Swallowdale

32. Swallowdale by Arthur Ransome

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Have you not read "Swallows and Amazons" yet? Perhaps in my desire to remain spoiler free, I didn't play it up enough.

"Swallowdale" is book two in the series, but you should really start at the beginning. The young adventurers are all back at the lake for their summer holiday with new discoveries and difficulties to contend with.

I seriously love these books. Set in 1931 (when it was written), the four siblings who make up one sailing crew and the two who make up the other are all capable, imaginative, helpful kids. Sure, there's the occasional declaration of war between them, but once it's over everyone's a good sport and they are allies once again. And when things go awry, they keep their heads and pitch in to help.

As I said in my review of the first book, these are the kids I wish I'd known growing up.

If you like camping and/or sailing, definitely check out this series. I'm not even into camping but it sounds tempting after reading two of these. It also makes me miss sailing in the little sunfish a friend of mine had in high school.

Though the main characters are children, it doesn't feel like a kid's book. Suitable for kids certainly, but with a depth of story (448 pages and nautical terms I'm still looking up!) that make it a great read for adults too. I look forward to the next one!


3 years ago on TTaT: Love, Loss, and What I Wore; Latest note to self