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The Swallow And The Dark
The Swallow And The Dark
Oct 5, 2024 5:20 AM

Author:Andrew Matthews

The Swallow And The Dark

Sam is sixteen - and fighting a war with his own body. Sam has been diagnosed with an incurable illness that gives him only months to live, meaning that now he has so little left, time has suddenly become very important to him. And nearly a hundred years ago, another Sam - a lieutenant in the British Army - is off to fight a different kind of war, on the Western Front. He knows that he may not survive. Linking the two is a girl named Marion. But is Marion just a figment of Sam's imagination - a hallucination caused by his medication - or something far more extraordinary? Could she somehow be . . . a bridge across time itself?

Reviews

The flexible, plangent prose . . . should wake the most sated reader

—— The Sunday Times

Despite a few mishaps, the children become fast friends and partners in the sorts of lively plots and pastoral pastimes we don't read much about these days. Their adventures and near-disasters, innocent crushes, escaped animals, owning-up and growing up (and yes, changes of heart) are satisfying and not-too-sweet

—— Kirkus Reviews

Birdsall follows in the footsteps of Elizabeth Enright, Edward Eager, and Noel Streatfeild, updating the family story yet keeping all the old-fashioned charm

—— Booklist

Nicely old-fashioned . . . what makes it so engaging are Birdsall's light humorous style and the varied, vivid characters. Great fun and a cosy, comforting read

—— Books for Keeps

A beautifully paced and affecting tale

—— Independent on Sunday

John Boyne is clearly unafraid to tackle the big subjects in his fiction for children . . . A good, solid, engaging read

—— Tony Bradman , Guardian

Wonderful . . . One of the best books of the year. An instant classic

—— Eoin Colfer

Leaves the reader with a greater sense of how war changes people and their communities, and reminds us that sometimes, the ordinary acts of courage that get a child and his family through each day are as valuable, rare and life-changing as any along the front. Alfie inspires us to be more courageous than we’re used to and to do right by others even when the world is tense around us

—— Oprah Magazine

A beautifully paced and touching tale

—— Mail on Sunday
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