Jibbooms and bobstays! Those two Blackett sisters are back at it again, and Nancy is right there in the thick of it. Their mother (doubtless suffering from exhaustion) has gone off sailing in the North Sea with Captain Flint on a rest cure, but she has allowed her two daughters to stay a fortnight at Beckfoot on the lakeshore with their trusty cook. She's also permitted their two old friends, Dick and Dorothea Callum, to come up for a visit. But when their redoubtable Great Aunt (aka G. A.) hears of their abandonment, she's horrified and off on the next train. The Amazons are dismayed; not only will their solo holiday be ruined but now they'll have to hide their two guests in the woods in an abandoned shepherd's cottage (where they'll be forced to live off the land like savages, ergo "The Picts") while they'll be required to dress up in white pinafores, practice the pianoforte, and recite reams of parlor poetry aloud (ergo "The Martyrs"). Not much stretch here; no one dares trifle with the G.A.
As usual with Ransome, the fun is gentle, the action nonstop, and the instructions on everything from tickling trout to setting anchors are precise and informed. Even the formidable maiden aunt proves to have virtues, not the least of which is her ability to say she's sorry.The Picts & the Martyrs is the eleventh book in the Swallows & Amazons Series. This story took us awhile to get into. This is one of Ransome's slower moving books where most of the action happens at the end of the story. What makes the story bearable is the great lengths that Nancy and Peggy go to to hid Dick and Dorothea from the Great-Aunt. They do it so well that in the end the Great-Aunt goes away impressed with their behavior!
This probably wasn't our favorite book of the series, but nonetheless it still was a very enjoyable read. If you children love adventure stories I highly recommend this series.
Other's we have read:
See what others are reading aloud over at Hope is the Word.
I just wrote a post about how much we enjoy reading series aloud together and totally forgot about this series. Maybe because we've only read the first one. I might have to rectify that soon...thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteSome day. . . I WILL read these books! And it will be thanks to your and your family! :)
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