Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
I red this book over and over as a child . It was one of my favourites
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
My second book by Alison Uttley and although this one had a definite plot of sorts, it was still rather meandering, slow and often overly detailed.
We follow Penelope who goes to Thackers, an ancient farm run by her Aunt and Uncle that belonged historically to the Babington family (of the infamous Babington plot to save Mary Queen of Scots). I must confess to not knowing anything about said plot and googled it to understand what it was all about. This is a time travel book, with Penelope slipping in and out of the Babington timeline and the present. Uttley does an excellent job of detailing both time periods, describing the similarities and differences between Thackers then and now, in great minutiae.
Both households are fascinating as is the ambivalence of the time travel mechanics. There’s no single definite portal of travel, and Penelope finds herself moving unpredictably between the past and present. I enjoyed the Aunt and Uncle’s characters best - they were loving, hardworking, compassionate and funny! Penelope was alright but at times annoying. The entire narrative had a wistfulness to it, given that past events unfolded in the way they’d been foretold.
It was a fairly interesting read but a little too long and detailed for my liking. Still, I did enjoy it for the most part.
We follow Penelope who goes to Thackers, an ancient farm run by her Aunt and Uncle that belonged historically to the Babington family (of the infamous Babington plot to save Mary Queen of Scots). I must confess to not knowing anything about said plot and googled it to understand what it was all about. This is a time travel book, with Penelope slipping in and out of the Babington timeline and the present. Uttley does an excellent job of detailing both time periods, describing the similarities and differences between Thackers then and now, in great minutiae.
Both households are fascinating as is the ambivalence of the time travel mechanics. There’s no single definite portal of travel, and Penelope finds herself moving unpredictably between the past and present. I enjoyed the Aunt and Uncle’s characters best - they were loving, hardworking, compassionate and funny! Penelope was alright but at times annoying. The entire narrative had a wistfulness to it, given that past events unfolded in the way they’d been foretold.
It was a fairly interesting read but a little too long and detailed for my liking. Still, I did enjoy it for the most part.
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Penelope, a sickly child in 1930's London, goes to her great aunt's farm in Derbyshire for some clean country air. There, at Thackers, she slips in and out of time, returning to the 16th century in the middle of a plot to rescue Mary, Queen of Scots.
I enjoyed this way more than I expected. Uttley doesn't take any liberties with the reader, and there's a spirit to the story, setting, and characters that should attract all ages.
I enjoyed this way more than I expected. Uttley doesn't take any liberties with the reader, and there's a spirit to the story, setting, and characters that should attract all ages.
I didn't read this as a child. But a good friend did and had fond memories of it. So I picked up a copy and gave it a go. A lovely story that I wish I had read as a child. The idea of being able to escape into a different time would have really excited my childhood self. A good read.
I totally understand why people kept recommending this to me. It has a very similar feel to Green Knowe.
Uttley perfectly blends fantasy with reality and has clearly researched her historical time period well. I loved all the characters and was slightly sad Penelope and Francis couldn't end up together.
.
Read aloud the second reading and really appreciated how wonderful Uttley's writing is.
Uttley perfectly blends fantasy with reality and has clearly researched her historical time period well. I loved all the characters and was slightly sad Penelope and Francis couldn't end up together.
.
Read aloud the second reading and really appreciated how wonderful Uttley's writing is.
adventurous
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is a gem of a book, published in 1939 and still warm, country-soaked and of an old era. Penelope is a girl who has "second sight" and sent to the country to live at the Thacker family home. There, she slips into another layer of time, three hundred years ago and gets involved in Anthony Babington's plot to save Mary Queen of Scots. There is just a touch of a budding romance as well. Uttley was born at the end of the 19th century and her description of old English ways is authentic, and something I have always adored.
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No