Tuesday 29 October 2013

Ghosthawk by Susan Cooper, Reviewed by Tamsyn Murray

Firstly, a disclaimer: I am an enormous fan of Susan Cooper's previous books (especially The Dark Is Rising sequence, which I had on long-term loan from my library as a child) so I was predisposed to like this book. But sometimes when you have a soft spot for an author's work it can make you disappointed when they write something new and I was fully prepared for this to happen with Susan's latest novel, Ghosthawk.

Set in seventeenth century America, it tells the tale of two boys. One is Little Hawk, an eleven year old  Native American, and the other is John Wakeley, the son of English settlers. At the start of the book, Little Hawk is embarking on a three month winter trial, during which he is expected to survive on little more than his wits. It's a rite of passage; at the end, he will either be a man or he will be dead.

Needless to say, his journey is fraught with tension and danger. Susan Cooper doesn't flinch away from portraying the grim details of his day-to-day existence; Little Hawk has to kill to survive but at no time does the inevitable bloodshed feel gratuitous. At the end of the three months, Little Hawk returns to his village. What he discovers there changes everything.

John Wakeley's story is no less dramatic. He is a boy when we first meet him and he also faces a journey into manhood, but his is an apprenticeship which will last seven years. His friendship with Little Hawk, together with interaction with people like preacher Roger Williams, lead John to develop radical ideas on the fair treatment of the Native Americans. These views are often at odds with those around him and this highlights the ugly truth about the way the English settlers treated the original inhabitants of the land they wanted. Little Hawk and John become inextricably bound to each other - despite their differences, they have much in common. Ultimately, it's these similarities which cost them both dearly.

Ghosthawk is a soaring exploration of prejudice, intolerance and a shameful history, written by a supreme storyteller. I closed this book feeling raw, moved and not a little tearful. It might not always be an easy read but it packs one hell of a punch and the pages simply flew by. I needn't have worried about being disappointed - Susan Cooper left me breathless once again.

Young Adult, published by Random House, 339 pages.






Return to REVIEWS HOMEPAGE

3 comments:

Penny Dolan said...

Know just what you mean about fearing disappointment, Tanya, and so glad to hear that Susan Coopers newest book left you "breathless once again."

Cassie Bailey said...

Hello I'm so happy sharing this, I still can’t thank you enough powerful Priest Elijah, My husband left for a younger lady because i was unable to give birth due to PCOS,I was so devastated i was lonely i cried a lot i even tried taking my life, Then my friend told me about this great man Priest Elijah who helped her made her marriage perfect, I also went online and did more research about him i was not too sure but i decided to give him a try he told me not to worry everything was going to be alright, He told me all i needed to pay which was a convenient fee and i did and he did his work and sent me video proof and told me to wait 24hrs that he will be back, The next morning to my greatest surprise it was Shawn my husband on his knees begging I'm so happy, It didn’t stop there, I'm proud to say that I'm 3 weeks pregnant thank you so much Priest Elijah I'm forever grateful contact him

universalspellhelp@gmail.com

WhatsApp him +2347054380994

Unknown said...

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to the future! Financing made easy with Prof. Mrs. DOROTHY LOAN INVESTMENTS

Have you been looking for financing options for your new business plans, Are you seeking for a loan to expand your existing business, Do you find yourself in a bit of trouble with unpaid bills and you don’t know which way to go or where to turn to? Have you been turned down by your banks? MRS. DOROTHY LOAN INVESTMENTS says YES when your banks say NO. Contact us as we offer financial services at a low and affordable interest rate of 2% for long and short term loans. Interested applicants should contact us for further loan acquisition procedures via profdorothyinvestments@gmail.com

Services rendered include:

*Refinancing Loans
* Car Loan
*Truck Loans
* Home Loan
* Mortgage Loan
* Debt Consolidation Loan
* Farm Loan
* Business Loan [secure and unsecured]
* Personal Loan [secure and unsecured]
* Students Loan and so many others.

For more info; Contact us via Email: profdorothyinvestments@gmail.com

With Prof. Mrs. DOROTHY LOAN INVESTMENTS. you can say goodbye to all your financial crisis and difficulties as we are certified, trustworthy, reliable, efficient, fast and dynamic

Post a Comment