Publishers Weekly
10/04/2021
In 1919, post-WWI, two cued-white English children struggle to find family and peace. Twelve-year-old Ben’s adoptive father died eight months earlier in a hospital bombing in France while visiting Ben’s older brother Sam, a wounded soldier who goes missing soon after their father’s death. Newly back from boarding school, Lotti, also 12, feels alone in her own home, emotionally abused and neglected by her guardians. When Ben and Lotti meet, they swiftly become friends, and when circumstances turn sour, the two set forth for France aboard Ben’s narrowboat, the Sparrowhawk, in search of Sam. Pursued by a resourceful policeman, they must enlist the help of unlikely allies in order to survive the near-impossible trip across the English Channel, braving dangerous waters and sudden storms. Employing a quiet voice reminiscent of classics with a hint of humor (“And a terrible thing happened, but... If they had stayed, there would be no story”), Farrant (Eight Princesses and a Magic Mirror) pits resilient protagonists against numerous obstacles and setbacks, balancing loss and grief with joy and optimism in a lively adventure that wholeheartedly embraces the concept of found family. Ages 8–12. Agent: Allison Hellegers, Stimola Literary. (Oct.)
Liz Hyder
"Inspiring, beautiful, and utterly delightful, Voyage of the Sparrowhawk is a delicious emotional rollercoaster of a read that will stay with you forever."
Daily Mail
"Dramatic, moving and perfectly paced."
New Statesman
"A magnificent odyssey."
The Times
"One of the most compelling, joyous, tearjerking and delightful reads of the year."
BookPage
"Sometimes poignant, sometimes funny but consistently gripping, Voyage of the Sparrowhawk presses forward with all the purpose and beauty of a small, slim boat on fast-flowing waters."
Booklist (starred review)
"With promising maps at the opening, many lovable characters, and first-rate storytelling, this chapter book offers a captivating reading experience."
JANUARY 2022 - AudioFile
Deryn Oliver beautifully narrates this magical story set in England and France just after WWI. Listeners board the SPARROWHAWK, a longboat, with two very opposite 12-year-olds: hesitant Ben, who is searching for his missing brother, a soldier, and impulsive Lotti, who is wondering why her beloved grandma has stopped writing to her. Oliver deftly recounts the pair’s treacherous crossing of the English Channel and horrific descriptions of the war’s aftermath. Encounters with good and bad people and colorful descriptions of birds, nautical life, and the birth of puppies take center stage. Most inspiring is Ben’s and Lotti’s determination to carry on their searches despite the possibility of heartbreak. Impressive English and French accents, and Oliver’s singing of a nightingale’s song, create an enchanting listening experience. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2021-07-27
English orphans attempt a perilous Channel crossing in 1919.
Thirteen-year-old Ben’s father was killed while visiting Ben’s injured soldier brother in a French field hospital. Now Ben has received a telegram: Sam is missing, possibly dead. The family friend he’s stayed with is leaving for Wales, but he doesn’t want to go with her. To avoid being sent back to the bleak orphanage he and Sam were adopted from, Ben lies, saying he got word that Sam will soon return. He moves back with his dog to the Sparrowhawk, the family’s narrowboat home, and there finds Lotti hiding with a stolen Chihuahua. Twelve-year-old Lotti, expelled from the wretched boarding school her despicable aunt and uncle exiled her to, is trying to protect the dog she’s stolen from its abusive owner. The lonely, unlikely pair bond. Since Albert, the local constable, will shortly uncover Ben’s lie and Lotti will be sent away to another school, they set off for France on the Sparrowhawk, hoping to find Sam and Lotti’s French grandmother. The determined pair navigate canal locks and the Thames before attempting to reach Calais, all the while pursued by Albert. In addition to the dogs’ pivotal roles, Ben and Lotti are aided by a fascinating series of supportive adults as they attempt the impossible. Descriptive prose captures the bucolic canal boat life, tempestuous Channel crossing, and numbing devastation of postwar France. Main characters are cued as White.
Inspiring, memorable, and adventurous: classic storytelling. (Historical fiction. 9-12)
