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Our Castle by the Sea

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
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.

* "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)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.
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    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from February 18, 2019
      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.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Author Lucy Strange narrates her second book, capturing the historical thriller's gothic atmosphere. The story transports listeners to the southeast coast of England at the beginning of WWII. Strange imbues her words with impactful inflections and poignant pauses that take listeners into the heart of 12-year-old Pet. An encroaching war is confusing enough, but worse yet are changes that begin when her family has to paint their beloved lighthouse green. Soon that means little when Pet's German-born mother is interred as an enemy alien. Amid the larger backdrop of the rescue at Dunkirk, family members' puzzling, secretive actions finally make sense. Through her writing and narration Strange provides a believable sense of Pet's growth from disabling anxiety to courage and determination. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:820
  • Text Difficulty:3-4

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