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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs
Twist of Gold’ is yet another Morpurgo gem. It tells the story of Sean and Annie who have grown up in Ireland with their family. However, with the arrival of the English, the land that they love has become a plague ridden one where many starve during the Potato Famine and where there is little hope for the future. As the novel opens, they have already lost three young siblings, their father has gone away to America in order to seek their fortune (although they have not heard from him in months) and there mother is on her death bed. As the two children attempt to survive, there seems little hope that they will until they meet a captain from the dragoons. He befriends the children, giving them what little food he can and trying to keep them safe. However, when he hears that there is a terrible fever sweeping across Ireland, he knows that they will not survive and so he does the only thing he knows to help them. Leaving their dying mother behind, he puts them on a ship to America to find their father and so begins their epic voyage from the southern tip of Ireland across the Atlantic and the entire continent of America to California in a desperate hunt for their father. The individuals they encounter on the way, the excruciating circumstances of their journey as they attempt to survive, find the father and preserve the torc, their family heirloom and good luck charm, are both amazing and utterly engaging.
Unlike some Morpurgo novels, this is far longer (nearly 300 pages) and the plot is far more complex. However, it is no less brilliant. The characters Morpurgo creates are larger than life: Sean with his strong sense of morality and the way in which we watch him mature, Annie with her innocence and sense of justice and even the villainous individuals such as the slave selling bounty hunter or the ship’s captain are vividly drawn. We are really compelled by this story of survival in much the same way as we are in ‘Private Peaceful’ or ‘War Horse’.
This is quite a long novel and yet, after much reading around, I chose it as a group read with my bottom set (primarily boy) Year 9 group (aged 13-14) and they have absolutely loved it despite the fact it is, in terms of plot, quite complicated at times. Several of them have read ahead in desperation to know what happens next (and this is a group of boys who do not read) and there is a collective sigh and calls for can’t we read more after our 10-15 minutes of reading at the start of each lesson. This, to me, speaks volumes!
However, there was another reason I chose this novel (apart from the fact it fit nicely with the topic of travel writing that we have been studying). It also reveals something of the society and life in the 1850s in both Ireland and America. The journey across America was not only epic but had a real quality of realism – Morpurgo as always, does not shy away from disturbing detail. I wanted to give the students some background to the idea of the American Dream and the notions about slavery at this time before reading ‘Of Mice and Men’ and this novel provides the perfect opportunity for such discussion. As such, it is also challenging. It does force the reader to face uncomfortable historical truths (not least about the way in which the English treated the Irish, which seems to find a parallel in the treatment of black people in terms of slavery at this time in Southern America).
No this is not a great piece of literature and there were some moments that felt as if they dragged a little. However, there is so much here: famine, loss, gambling, slavery, the American dream, ideas about the treatment of children, maturation, family. It is a wonderfully engaging story and one I would highly recommend to a young audience. Morpurgo just has a knack of not merely capturing a world that would be otherwise entirely unfamiliar, but forcing us to engage with and love his characters and, particularly at the end, grabbing us emotionally and forcing us to shed a tear.
Unlike some Morpurgo novels, this is far longer (nearly 300 pages) and the plot is far more complex. However, it is no less brilliant. The characters Morpurgo creates are larger than life: Sean with his strong sense of morality and the way in which we watch him mature, Annie with her innocence and sense of justice and even the villainous individuals such as the slave selling bounty hunter or the ship’s captain are vividly drawn. We are really compelled by this story of survival in much the same way as we are in ‘Private Peaceful’ or ‘War Horse’.
This is quite a long novel and yet, after much reading around, I chose it as a group read with my bottom set (primarily boy) Year 9 group (aged 13-14) and they have absolutely loved it despite the fact it is, in terms of plot, quite complicated at times. Several of them have read ahead in desperation to know what happens next (and this is a group of boys who do not read) and there is a collective sigh and calls for can’t we read more after our 10-15 minutes of reading at the start of each lesson. This, to me, speaks volumes!
However, there was another reason I chose this novel (apart from the fact it fit nicely with the topic of travel writing that we have been studying). It also reveals something of the society and life in the 1850s in both Ireland and America. The journey across America was not only epic but had a real quality of realism – Morpurgo as always, does not shy away from disturbing detail. I wanted to give the students some background to the idea of the American Dream and the notions about slavery at this time before reading ‘Of Mice and Men’ and this novel provides the perfect opportunity for such discussion. As such, it is also challenging. It does force the reader to face uncomfortable historical truths (not least about the way in which the English treated the Irish, which seems to find a parallel in the treatment of black people in terms of slavery at this time in Southern America).
No this is not a great piece of literature and there were some moments that felt as if they dragged a little. However, there is so much here: famine, loss, gambling, slavery, the American dream, ideas about the treatment of children, maturation, family. It is a wonderfully engaging story and one I would highly recommend to a young audience. Morpurgo just has a knack of not merely capturing a world that would be otherwise entirely unfamiliar, but forcing us to engage with and love his characters and, particularly at the end, grabbing us emotionally and forcing us to shed a tear.
I’ve loved every single one of Michael Morpurgo’s books that I’ve picked up since I first read Why the Whales Came many years ago. He is, in my opinion, one of the best older children’s authors still writing, and Twist of Gold serves as a wonderful reminder of why that is.
The story of Twist of Gold follows two children as they journey from Ireland to Boston and then onwards through America in search of their father. Along the way, they are helped by a string of supporting characters who are all well-drawn and engaging. Morpurgo is able to make the reader warm to each of these people in a very short space of time and each one is a carefully crafted individual so that although the story develops in a fairly formulaic manner (children get into trouble and are rescued by kindly person) it never feels repetitive or dull. I was also pleased that Morpurgo doesn’t feel the need to tie all of these characters into the ending in a contrived manner, but leaves them as steps along the journey.
The writing, as always, is very skillful and the sort which can be enjoyed by readers of any age, which for me is the mark of a good children’s book. His vocabulary choices are sometimes challenging but always appropriate to the age range for which he writes without ever feeling dumbed down. His descriptions are full and evocative, instantly conjuring up arid deserts or crowded city streets. The story is full of adventure but is sufficiently grounded in reality to be believable. I would definitely recommend this book for children of eight and up.
The story of Twist of Gold follows two children as they journey from Ireland to Boston and then onwards through America in search of their father. Along the way, they are helped by a string of supporting characters who are all well-drawn and engaging. Morpurgo is able to make the reader warm to each of these people in a very short space of time and each one is a carefully crafted individual so that although the story develops in a fairly formulaic manner (children get into trouble and are rescued by kindly person) it never feels repetitive or dull. I was also pleased that Morpurgo doesn’t feel the need to tie all of these characters into the ending in a contrived manner, but leaves them as steps along the journey.
The writing, as always, is very skillful and the sort which can be enjoyed by readers of any age, which for me is the mark of a good children’s book. His vocabulary choices are sometimes challenging but always appropriate to the age range for which he writes without ever feeling dumbed down. His descriptions are full and evocative, instantly conjuring up arid deserts or crowded city streets. The story is full of adventure but is sufficiently grounded in reality to be believable. I would definitely recommend this book for children of eight and up.
fast-paced
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Ever since my cousin introduced my to War Horse, I have picked up any book I can find by this author. The stories always draw you in, they are not always the sweetest by any means but are told in a way a child can understand without being very upsetting. This one is no exception. Sean and Annie are traveling across 'Merica to find their father and meet some nasty characters, as well and some lovely characters along the way. If this was based in the modern day I think it would be a very different story! It was not entirely believable at times but reading a Morpurgo book always leaves you with a warm glow by the end.
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
