The Children of the King (Sonya Hartnett, Viking)

Tuesday, 20 March 2012 Unlocked content from the archive. Books+Publishing

The Children of the King challenges stereotypes of war from the first page, which opens, not with a sombre and terror-filled London, but with a lively household full of love and play. War is a backdrop for young Cecily, who believes her father will keep any threat at bay. Her brother Jeremy has a bleaker outlook. He knows that the war is getting closer, and it’s not long before he’s proved right. Cecily, Jeremy and their mother flee London for the safety of the countryside, arriving at Heron Hall with May, a strong and independent young refugee who is nothing like the grateful doting waif Cecily had hoped for. May’s adventurous spirit leads them to Snow Castle, and into a story of war and power that is decades old, and could be the key to changing their present. Sonya Hartnett uses shifting dynamics between the characters to breathe life into a bygone era, and the result is lively and real. The Children of Men is the third book in Hartnett’s ‘war trilogy’, thematically linked to prize-winning titles The Silver Donkey and The Midnight Zoo.

Bec Kavanagh is a Melbourne-based writer and reviewer

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Category: Reviews