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The Silver Donkey
From extraordinary novelist Sonya Hartnett comes a gently told fable of a lost soldier, heroic children, and a steadfast donkey.
One morning in the woods of World War I France, two young sisters stumble upon an astonishing find — a soldier, temporarily blinded by war, who has walked away from battle longing to see his gravely ill younger brother. Soon the care of the soldier becomes the girls' preoccupation, but it's not just the secret they share that emboldens them to steal food and other comforting items for the man. They are fascinated by what he holds in his hand — a tiny silver donkey. As the girls and their brother devise a plan for the soldier's safe passage home, he repays them by telling four wondrous tales about the humble donkey — from the legend of Bethlehem to a myth of India, from a story of rescue in war to a tale of family close to the soldier's heart. Sonya Hartnett explores rich new territory in this inspiring tale of kindness, loyalty, and courage.
One morning in the woods of World War I France, two young sisters stumble upon an astonishing find — a soldier, temporarily blinded by war, who has walked away from battle longing to see his gravely ill younger brother. Soon the care of the soldier becomes the girls' preoccupation, but it's not just the secret they share that emboldens them to steal food and other comforting items for the man. They are fascinated by what he holds in his hand — a tiny silver donkey. As the girls and their brother devise a plan for the soldier's safe passage home, he repays them by telling four wondrous tales about the humble donkey — from the legend of Bethlehem to a myth of India, from a story of rescue in war to a tale of family close to the soldier's heart. Sonya Hartnett explores rich new territory in this inspiring tale of kindness, loyalty, and courage.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2004
About the author
Sonya Hartnett
46 books307 followersSonya Hartnett (also works under the pseudonym Cameron S. Redfern) is, or was, something of an Australian child prodigy author. She wrote her first novel at the age of thirteen, and had it published at fifteen. Her books have also been published in Europe and North America. Her novels have been published traditionally as young adult fiction, but her writing often crosses the divide and is also enjoyed by adults.
"I chose to narrate the story through a child because people like children, they WANT to like them," says Sonya Hartnett of THURSDAY'S CHILD, her brilliantly original coming-of-age story set during the Great Depression. "Harper [the young narrator] is the reason you get sucked into the characters. Even I, who like to distance myself from my characters, felt protective of her."
The acclaimed author of several award-winning young adult novels--the first written when she was just 13--Australian native Sonya Hartnett says she wrote THURSDAY'S CHILD in a mere three months. "It just pulled itself together," she says. "I'd wanted to set a story in the Depression for some time, in an isolated community that was strongly supportive. Once the dual ideas of the boy who tunneled and the young girl as narrator gelled, it almost wrote itself--I had the cast, I had the setting, I just said 'go.' " Accustomed to writing about edgy young adult characters, Sonya Hartnett says that identifying with a seven-year-old protagonist was a challenge at first. "I found her difficult to approach," she admits. "I'm not really used to children. But once I started, I found you could have fun with her: she could tell lies, she could deny the truth." Whereas most children know "only what adults want them to know," the author discovered she could bypass that limitation by "turning Harper into an eavesdropper and giving her older siblings to reveal realities."
In her second book with Candlewick Press, WHAT THE BIRDS SEE, Sonya Hartnett once again creates a portrait of childhood. This time the subject is Adrian, a nine-year-old boy living in the suburbs with his gran and Uncle. For Adrian, childhood is shaped by fear: his dread of quicksand, shopping centers, and self-combustion. Then one day, three neighborhood children vanish--an incident based on a real case in Australia in the 1960s--and Adrian comes to see just how tenuous his safety net is. In speaking about Adrian, the author provocatively reveals parallels between herself and her character. She says, "Adrian is me in many respects, and many of the things that happen to him happened to me."
Sonya Hartnett's consistently inspired writing has built her a legion of devotees. Of THURSDAY'S CHILD, Newbery Honor-winning author Carolyn Coman says, "Hartnett's beautifully rendered vision drew me in from the very start and carried me along, above and under ground, to the very end. This book amazed me." The achingly beautiful WHAT THE BIRDS SEE has just as quickly garnered critical acclaim. Notes PUBLISHERS WEEKLY in a starred review, "Hartnett again captures the ineffable fragility of childhood in this keenly observed tale. . . . Sophisticated readers will appreciate the work's acuity and poetic integrity." Sonya Hartnett's third young adult novel, STRIPES OF THE SIDESTEP WOLF was named an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults.
Sonya Hartnett lives near Melbourne, Australia. Her most recent novels are SURRENDER, a mesmerizing psychological thriller, and THE SILVER DONKEY, a gently told fable for middle-grade readers.
"I chose to narrate the story through a child because people like children, they WANT to like them," says Sonya Hartnett of THURSDAY'S CHILD, her brilliantly original coming-of-age story set during the Great Depression. "Harper [the young narrator] is the reason you get sucked into the characters. Even I, who like to distance myself from my characters, felt protective of her."
The acclaimed author of several award-winning young adult novels--the first written when she was just 13--Australian native Sonya Hartnett says she wrote THURSDAY'S CHILD in a mere three months. "It just pulled itself together," she says. "I'd wanted to set a story in the Depression for some time, in an isolated community that was strongly supportive. Once the dual ideas of the boy who tunneled and the young girl as narrator gelled, it almost wrote itself--I had the cast, I had the setting, I just said 'go.' " Accustomed to writing about edgy young adult characters, Sonya Hartnett says that identifying with a seven-year-old protagonist was a challenge at first. "I found her difficult to approach," she admits. "I'm not really used to children. But once I started, I found you could have fun with her: she could tell lies, she could deny the truth." Whereas most children know "only what adults want them to know," the author discovered she could bypass that limitation by "turning Harper into an eavesdropper and giving her older siblings to reveal realities."
In her second book with Candlewick Press, WHAT THE BIRDS SEE, Sonya Hartnett once again creates a portrait of childhood. This time the subject is Adrian, a nine-year-old boy living in the suburbs with his gran and Uncle. For Adrian, childhood is shaped by fear: his dread of quicksand, shopping centers, and self-combustion. Then one day, three neighborhood children vanish--an incident based on a real case in Australia in the 1960s--and Adrian comes to see just how tenuous his safety net is. In speaking about Adrian, the author provocatively reveals parallels between herself and her character. She says, "Adrian is me in many respects, and many of the things that happen to him happened to me."
Sonya Hartnett's consistently inspired writing has built her a legion of devotees. Of THURSDAY'S CHILD, Newbery Honor-winning author Carolyn Coman says, "Hartnett's beautifully rendered vision drew me in from the very start and carried me along, above and under ground, to the very end. This book amazed me." The achingly beautiful WHAT THE BIRDS SEE has just as quickly garnered critical acclaim. Notes PUBLISHERS WEEKLY in a starred review, "Hartnett again captures the ineffable fragility of childhood in this keenly observed tale. . . . Sophisticated readers will appreciate the work's acuity and poetic integrity." Sonya Hartnett's third young adult novel, STRIPES OF THE SIDESTEP WOLF was named an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults.
Sonya Hartnett lives near Melbourne, Australia. Her most recent novels are SURRENDER, a mesmerizing psychological thriller, and THE SILVER DONKEY, a gently told fable for middle-grade readers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 217 reviews
October 4, 2016
This "war story" entertained and engaged both me and my little one with its straightforward approach to storytelling.
Breakdown: two little girls find a soldier in the woods who has deserted from the war. Y'know, 'cause it's hell and all. This soldier has gone psychosomatically blind due to seeing too many horrors. They make friends. They share stories. And they hatch a plan.
Our favorite parts were the 'morality tales' featured as stories-within-stories. The soldier tells a few tales about donkeys. And after these tales, and this book, you'll never look at donkeys the same way again.
Breakdown: two little girls find a soldier in the woods who has deserted from the war. Y'know, 'cause it's hell and all. This soldier has gone psychosomatically blind due to seeing too many horrors. They make friends. They share stories. And they hatch a plan.
Our favorite parts were the 'morality tales' featured as stories-within-stories. The soldier tells a few tales about donkeys. And after these tales, and this book, you'll never look at donkeys the same way again.
January 16, 2016
arada çocuk kitapları iyidir :)
September 21, 2007
simply magic!
the language makes you want to read it out loud - poetry. I especially enjoyed the tail of the donkey on the mountain.
and i found out later that it also includes a Christmas tale!
the language makes you want to read it out loud - poetry. I especially enjoyed the tail of the donkey on the mountain.
and i found out later that it also includes a Christmas tale!
September 26, 2020
More of a revisiting than a first read, I picked up Harnett's book in all it's beautiful hardback splendour. With its greem-wooded cover and embossed silver donkey to its dream-like endpapers lovingly crafted by Laura Carlin, it's a palm-sized gentle story which resonates through Harnett's tender prose.
Set at some point during the Great War, two young French sisters, Marcelle (10) and Coco (8), venture into the wood near their farm to discover a blind, hungry soldier who has escaped the Front's atrocities. With only care and curiosity at the forefront of their mind, they choose to keep him a secret from the townspeople and feed him. In return he tells them stories inspired by the little silver donkey that he always carried in his hand.
The allegorical stories themselves interject the children's visits and are there for him to share with the girls (and other visitors): what it is about life that is worth living for. It is a story that is sure to embed itself within the mind of the young reader ready to be revisited and reimagined as they grow into the world. Harnett stays cautiously away from overt didacticism and instead leaves interpretation of the tales to the reader. The story has a beautiful, hopeful close.
Set at some point during the Great War, two young French sisters, Marcelle (10) and Coco (8), venture into the wood near their farm to discover a blind, hungry soldier who has escaped the Front's atrocities. With only care and curiosity at the forefront of their mind, they choose to keep him a secret from the townspeople and feed him. In return he tells them stories inspired by the little silver donkey that he always carried in his hand.
The allegorical stories themselves interject the children's visits and are there for him to share with the girls (and other visitors): what it is about life that is worth living for. It is a story that is sure to embed itself within the mind of the young reader ready to be revisited and reimagined as they grow into the world. Harnett stays cautiously away from overt didacticism and instead leaves interpretation of the tales to the reader. The story has a beautiful, hopeful close.
May 17, 2018
Marcelle and Coco, two French girls living in a coastal farming and fishing village during World War I have discovered a secret. They stumbled across a a new friend- Lieutenant Shepard. The girls think "Lieutenant" is a funny name, but they are delighted with their new friend's tiny silver donkey charm and in exchange for stories, they help him to find his way home to his ill brother. Through Lieutenant Shepard's stories, the children learn about loyalty, humility, courage, and the importance of family. Can they find a way to help their new friend find his way across the English channel?
This book is slow. I think my nieces would declare it boring. They would be turned off by the preachy, moral fables and the depiction of wartime violence. Lieutenant Shepard destered the British Army. That's treason and if they find out - when they find out - he could be executed. Since he is blind, he must rely on two silly young girls about the ages of my nieces. While I felt sorry for the soldier and wanted him to see his brother one last time, I wonder what good that will do? He'd have to go on the run again! The plot moves slowly over the course of a few days. In between the exciting "will he make it?" adventure plot, the soldier tells stories-fables and moral tales to the children.
The first story is from the Bible, stripped of religious elements. The focus is now on the donkey. It would be a sweet story if it wasn't so familiar. It seemed odd to hear the story without the divine and the shepherds and everything. I like it better this way, being a huge animal lover. My heart broke at the end of the story.
The second story must take place in India. During a drought the people and animals try to force the sky to bring rain. Only one creature figures out what to do.
The next story is a war story with all the horrors that accompany it. The end was shocking and I didn't expect it. I thought it was the soldier's true story. The true story is about his brother who is ill and not expected to live very long. This is a sad story.
This book reads like a classic from the 1950s -the ones I used to read growing up that were not my favorites but kept me occupied.
This book is slow. I think my nieces would declare it boring. They would be turned off by the preachy, moral fables and the depiction of wartime violence. Lieutenant Shepard destered the British Army. That's treason and if they find out - when they find out - he could be executed. Since he is blind, he must rely on two silly young girls about the ages of my nieces. While I felt sorry for the soldier and wanted him to see his brother one last time, I wonder what good that will do? He'd have to go on the run again! The plot moves slowly over the course of a few days. In between the exciting "will he make it?" adventure plot, the soldier tells stories-fables and moral tales to the children.
The first story is from the Bible, stripped of religious elements. The focus is now on the donkey. It would be a sweet story if it wasn't so familiar. It seemed odd to hear the story without the divine and the shepherds and everything. I like it better this way, being a huge animal lover. My heart broke at the end of the story.
The second story must take place in India. During a drought the people and animals try to force the sky to bring rain. Only one creature figures out what to do.
The next story is a war story with all the horrors that accompany it. The end was shocking and I didn't expect it. I thought it was the soldier's true story. The true story is about his brother who is ill and not expected to live very long. This is a sad story.
This book reads like a classic from the 1950s -the ones I used to read growing up that were not my favorites but kept me occupied.
February 17, 2010
Apparently simple, but so beautifully done, with lovely and haunting writing. There are some sad scenes--some very sad--but I thought it was really a very moving book. Not everyone will agree with all the points, I think, but it was very touching and well-done.
March 21, 2008
Sonya Hartnett just received the Astrid Lindgren prize, an award that carries a large cash prize along with the honor. I had never read anything by this Australian author so I put in some reserveds at LAPL. This was the first book to come through. It is nearly an allegory, a story about an English soldier who has been blinded not by a physical wound but by the trauma of the sights he has seen in the trenches and on no-man's land. He has deserted the battlefield and is trying to get across the English Channel to his home. Three French children find him, feed him, listen to the stories he tells about brave and loyal donkeys, and enlist an older friend to take him home. A contemplative story that is profoundly anti-war.
April 18, 2018
I love this book. It’s a great and simple one to read between books or series, and I enjoy reading it in my spare time, as I have over the past few days. It’s a poignant and touching story, or rather, story of stories, that still warms my heart despite having read it twice before. I highly recommend this to people of all ages; it might be easy enough for a child to read, but the message behind it is one everyone should explore.
February 11, 2016
Uma das maiores surpresas dos últimos meses!
Opinião completa no blogue: http://flamesmr.blogspot.pt/2016/02/l...
Opinião completa no blogue: http://flamesmr.blogspot.pt/2016/02/l...
March 1, 2024
So when I started to read this World War One story I wasn't too sure if an actual donkey would be in here. Because the book clearly states that the donkey is a tiny silver figurine. But yes, real donkeys do appear each time the soldier is telling the kids a story. So there are stories in the story.
I do like reading these middle grade books. And one reason why I liked this one is that the two little girls in here are so innocent. And they think its so super exciting to find the soldier lost in the woods. And he is their big secret. But since they are so kind, they want to help him. But how do you do that while still keeping him a secret? Plus they have to go to school! And he has to eat. So what do you do?
So that is the situation. Plus he's blind. He cannot really walk anywhere. He is just stuck there in the woods, relying on the little girls' kindness to stay alive.
I must say I was totally hooked on this! The story flowed very smoothly and it seemed I was right there too. In France. In some little town that has a woods and is near a large body of water.
And the soldier tells them 3 stories. Each story is very different but they each have a donkey in it. And the youngest girl, Coco, she just loves holding the tiny silver donkey figurine. And what an imagination she has, pretending she is galloping all over the place on a donkey. But his stories actually point out how brave and steady the donkey is, how they never complain but work hard, the abuse they take silently as they carry heavy loads. These little tales are great for anyone who loves donkeys. But this is a war story so there is indeed stuff in here about World War One.
I did guess how it was going to end... Somehow I just knew. And then when I read the past few sentences I knew I had guessed right. I just had a feeling it was going to end that way.
I liked how it ended.
Of the stories he told I think the second one about the weather was my favorite. It tries to explain a few things. Like why is a stormy sky that dark grey color?
I also like that the book names many different donkey breeds and describes them too. The kind of donkey I know has the black cross shape on their backs. I know two of them.
But mainly I love the fact that this is a simple old fashioned adventure story from the eyes of young children. It reminds me of the old comic books I read as a kid - those had simple stories too.
I do like reading these middle grade books. And one reason why I liked this one is that the two little girls in here are so innocent. And they think its so super exciting to find the soldier lost in the woods. And he is their big secret. But since they are so kind, they want to help him. But how do you do that while still keeping him a secret? Plus they have to go to school! And he has to eat. So what do you do?
So that is the situation. Plus he's blind. He cannot really walk anywhere. He is just stuck there in the woods, relying on the little girls' kindness to stay alive.
I must say I was totally hooked on this! The story flowed very smoothly and it seemed I was right there too. In France. In some little town that has a woods and is near a large body of water.
And the soldier tells them 3 stories. Each story is very different but they each have a donkey in it. And the youngest girl, Coco, she just loves holding the tiny silver donkey figurine. And what an imagination she has, pretending she is galloping all over the place on a donkey. But his stories actually point out how brave and steady the donkey is, how they never complain but work hard, the abuse they take silently as they carry heavy loads. These little tales are great for anyone who loves donkeys. But this is a war story so there is indeed stuff in here about World War One.
I did guess how it was going to end... Somehow I just knew. And then when I read the past few sentences I knew I had guessed right. I just had a feeling it was going to end that way.
I liked how it ended.
Of the stories he told I think the second one about the weather was my favorite. It tries to explain a few things. Like why is a stormy sky that dark grey color?
I also like that the book names many different donkey breeds and describes them too. The kind of donkey I know has the black cross shape on their backs. I know two of them.
But mainly I love the fact that this is a simple old fashioned adventure story from the eyes of young children. It reminds me of the old comic books I read as a kid - those had simple stories too.
June 21, 2023
I came across this in the process of replacing faded labels on YA paperbacks and thought it looked interesting. The book looked PRISTINE, like it had never been opened.
WWI fiction that I think should have been in Children's fiction because it's about two girls, 10 & 8, who find a blind soldier in the woods near their home. They keep him a secret because he has deserted and would be shot if found. As they get to know each other, they provide him what food they can, and bond over a tiny silver donkey that is his good luck talisman and the stories about donkeys that he shares. They finally let their 13 year old brother into the secret and hatch a plan to get him across the channel back to his home.
I enjoyed the story but only gave it 3 stars because it just ENDS when the plan to get him across the channel happens, but we never find out if he made it home or not! Boo!
WWI fiction that I think should have been in Children's fiction because it's about two girls, 10 & 8, who find a blind soldier in the woods near their home. They keep him a secret because he has deserted and would be shot if found. As they get to know each other, they provide him what food they can, and bond over a tiny silver donkey that is his good luck talisman and the stories about donkeys that he shares. They finally let their 13 year old brother into the secret and hatch a plan to get him across the channel back to his home.
I enjoyed the story but only gave it 3 stars because it just ENDS when the plan to get him across the channel happens, but we never find out if he made it home or not! Boo!
July 18, 2024
“But at least back there they had called him a brave man: here, hiding amid the leaves and shadows, they would call him a coward”
When sisters Marcelle and Coco find a blind soldier in the woods, they know the mustn’t tell a soul. Though the soldier enchants them with his beautiful tales, all containing a silver donkey, the girls know that anyone else would see him as a deserter, and treat him with little compassion. Yet in order to get him home, the girls must employ the help of their older brother and his friends. Can they be trusted to help their friend home? Set during WW1 in France, this book views the war through a child’s perspective, filled with blind and trusting compassion.
A heartfelt book I loved. Touching and beautifully written
When sisters Marcelle and Coco find a blind soldier in the woods, they know the mustn’t tell a soul. Though the soldier enchants them with his beautiful tales, all containing a silver donkey, the girls know that anyone else would see him as a deserter, and treat him with little compassion. Yet in order to get him home, the girls must employ the help of their older brother and his friends. Can they be trusted to help their friend home? Set during WW1 in France, this book views the war through a child’s perspective, filled with blind and trusting compassion.
A heartfelt book I loved. Touching and beautifully written
Read
June 25, 2012I picked up a first edition, signed by the author, haven't read it yet but I love Sonya Hartnett and do think she is a seminal Australian writer, who will be remembered forever.
July 31, 2019
Duas irmãs encontram no bosque próximo à sua casa um soldado desertor. Ele está faminto e cego e não pode ser encontrado pelo exército. Tudo o que ele quer é voltar para sua casa a fim de rever seus pais e especialmente seu irmão mais novo que estava próximo da morte quando teve que partir. Para isso contará com a ajuda dessas duas crianças para atravessar o canal e com seu amuleto da sorte: um burrinho prateado presenteado por seu querido irmão. Enquanto esperam um plano que o possibilite retornar para casa em segurança, o soldado conta a elas quatro histórias tendo como personagem a figura do burro, animal que simboliza a docilidade, humildade e resistência.
O livro foi emprestado por minha filha é uma forma delicada de abordar com as crianças os horrores da guerra.
Histórico de leitura
29/07/2019
"Era uma manhã fria de primavera. Em um bosque próximo ao mar, duas garotas encontraram um homem encolhido à sombra das árvores. Achando que estava morto, fugiram aos gritinhos, agarrando-se pelas mãos."
O livro foi emprestado por minha filha é uma forma delicada de abordar com as crianças os horrores da guerra.
Histórico de leitura
29/07/2019
"Era uma manhã fria de primavera. Em um bosque próximo ao mar, duas garotas encontraram um homem encolhido à sombra das árvores. Achando que estava morto, fugiram aos gritinhos, agarrando-se pelas mãos."
August 3, 2019
I picked up this book on a whim at a thrift store because the illustrations and setting caught my eye. What a little gem it turned out to be! It would make a wonderful read aloud. If one is aiming to slowly introduce young children to WWI/WWII without overwhelming them, this could have a place in that aim.
I found the three siblings realistic, relatable, and endearing.
I found the three siblings realistic, relatable, and endearing.
August 8, 2018
"Will you be alright, Monsieur, here in the woods by yourself?
The silver donkey belongs to the trustworthy and the brave.
The silver donkey belongs to the trustworthy and the brave.
May 3, 2020
Una preciosa historia que cuenta a su vez con 4 cuentos dentro de él. Me ha encantado.
September 23, 2023
I loved this!
This is one of my favourite reads of 2023, I loved the writing, my edition had incredible illustrations, and it was the perfect balance of sad and heart warming.
I would really recommend this!
This is one of my favourite reads of 2023, I loved the writing, my edition had incredible illustrations, and it was the perfect balance of sad and heart warming.
I would really recommend this!
June 11, 2014
The Silver Donkey by Sonya Hartnett with illustrations by Don Powers is juvenile historical fiction about two young girls who befriend a soldier they come across in the woods near their home. He is blind and needs to get home to his sick brother. This is a wonderful book for all ages, young and old. I got into it right away and the stories that the soldier tells the young girls are really, really good! This is the kind of book you could read again and again! That being said, it is my book of the month so far for June. LOVED IT!
(Gerard's review)
I thought The Silver donkey by Sonya Hartnett was okay. I enjoyed the stories about donkeys that the soldier told the kids. The soldier becomes blind because he's seen so many terrible things in the war and decides to just go home so he winds up in some woods where two little girls find him. They help him and he tells them stories about a donkey and shows them his little silver donkey good luck charm. The girls get their brother to help them think how to help the soldier get home.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)
(Gerard's review)
I thought The Silver donkey by Sonya Hartnett was okay. I enjoyed the stories about donkeys that the soldier told the kids. The soldier becomes blind because he's seen so many terrible things in the war and decides to just go home so he winds up in some woods where two little girls find him. They help him and he tells them stories about a donkey and shows them his little silver donkey good luck charm. The girls get their brother to help them think how to help the soldier get home.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)
March 5, 2021
Il libro è ambientato in Francia durante la Grande Guerra, e vuole fare riflettere sull'inutile sacrificio di tanti uomini, non solo con il racconto principale, ma anche con alcune delle storie che il soldato inglese - un disertore accecato dalle esplosioni - racconta alle due bambine che lo ritrovano nel bosco. Tutti i racconti hanno in comune il protagonista, un asino (che non è sempre lo stesso), a causa del piccolo asinello d'argento portafortuna che il soldato ha con sé.
Il risultato è un libro con una struttura un po' stile "Cuore", commovente ma non troppo coinvolgente.
Il risultato è un libro con una struttura un po' stile "Cuore", commovente ma non troppo coinvolgente.
April 16, 2015
This is a beautiful and touching story. Two girls in France encounter an English soldier in their nearby forest. The time is WWI and the soldier has deserted the war and is trying to make his way back home. The girls decide to help him. He carries a silver donkey as a good luck charm which was a gift from his sick brother. Smaller stories are interwoven throughout the book which give insight into the war and the meaning of the silver donkey. This heartwarming story will touch every reader and I was very sad to say goodbye to the characters when I finished the story.
December 28, 2013
5/5 This book is simply magical. It taps deep down to the core of being a child and learning the values of life. I really liked this book so much. For it did not only made feel luke a child again but made me think whats more important other than self. I feel very lucky to have accidentaly found this one in a second hand bookstore in delicately immaculate condition. It is as good as new. Moreover, the story itself is a hidden gem. Worth reading and passing to others. ;)
August 20, 2019
Not as intense, or, imo, as eloquent & moving, as the other Hartnett books I've read. (Though a reread might prove me wrong.) More accessible, more of an adventure. Still not for the youngest, most sensitive children (or for those who need page-a-minute action). Somewhat of a fable, and somewhat *L*iterary. Highly recommended to the mature reader.
August 31, 2017
I have now read all of Sonya Hartnett's novels. I still love them all. This one is for a younger audience, possibly even younger than Children of the King. Would be a great book for young readers looking for human perspectives of war, as it tells from the eyes of adults, and children.
This is set through WW1, and it does a wonderful job of portraying the time.
This is set through WW1, and it does a wonderful job of portraying the time.
December 25, 2014
cest livre tres magnifique! j'aime ca.
This book is amazing, it sounds so much like a classic fairytale by the way it's written. It's about a Luteinant which escaped World war 1 and.. alright that's all I can say. It's just so beautifully written. I shall add this to my favorites too!
This book is amazing, it sounds so much like a classic fairytale by the way it's written. It's about a Luteinant which escaped World war 1 and.. alright that's all I can say. It's just so beautifully written. I shall add this to my favorites too!
December 8, 2015
Um livro infantil que pode levar qualquer adulto às lágrimas. Uma história com outras histórias que, a par de umas ilustrações fantásticas, consegue transmitir as mais belas mensagens. Uma das surpresas do ano para mim!
December 13, 2010
was mind blowing! made me cry...
August 28, 2011
delightful.
August 4, 2012
Lovely read. Will have to reread for further analysis for my university requirements, which I don't mind at all!
February 11, 2014
This story was touching and written so beautifully that I wished for more. It is a short, fairly quick read, and so very worth it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 217 reviews