In ‘The Strong Winds’ Trilogy, Julia Jones pulls off
something quite remarkable. To suggest
it was conceived as an ‘homage’ to Arthur Ransome perhaps does both authors a
disservice, because what Jones achieves in her trilogy of children’s books; in
which the key features of Ransome also appear – sailing, adventure and the resourcefulness
of youth in the face of an alien adult world – is something which will appeal
to Ransome fans, but also to those for whom Ransome’s style and
characterisation is locked in a bygone age. The ‘Strong Winds’ Trilogy is
Ransome for our times. Julia Jones gives us 21st century children
facing modern, everyday, real problems. Whether you like Ransome or not, you
can enjoy ‘Strong Winds.’ These are
contemporary stories, with ‘issues’ but without being ‘issue based.’ More than
that, the adventures are founded in the reality of the lives of these very
‘real’ characters.
I thoroughly enjoyed all three books of ‘The Strong Winds’
Trilogy and could recommend them to both adults and young people alike. These
are the sort of books you revel in reading for yourself and make the perfect
present for other people. They are books that will sit on many a shelf for a
lifetime. The only criticism I could have of ‘The Strong Winds’ Trilogy, is
that, like all good things, they had to come to an end.
With ‘The Lion of Sole Bay’, Julia Jones has opened the sea
chest again. Moving beyond the Trilogy ‘Strong Winds’ is destined to become a
series – and I for one hope that Jone will find the time and energy to match
Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons series by writing (at least) twelve novels.
You can read ‘The Lion of Sole Bay’ as a standalone, and if
you do so, you’ll rush back to read the Trilogy. If you have read the Trilogy
in advance you’ll find in ‘The Lion of Sole Bay’ an author in full stride,
completely comfortable with her writing style. This is a tour de force. Certainly I have grown into the Jones style
of storytelling over the past three novels and this time I sat down with some
expectations, which were not disappointed.
Jones managed to far exceed my already high expectations. She has taken
a ‘minor’ character from the Trilogy, Luke, to be the ‘hero’ of this tale. In doing so she reminds us that there are no
‘minor’ characters, that everyone has a story.
Jones’ ability to present the world through the eyes of a twelve year
old is impressive, and we get lost in Luke’s ‘imagination’ to the point that we
start to ‘believe’ as he does.
‘The Lion of Sole Bay’ has two ‘heroines’, both unlikely –
Angel has ADHD and Helen is being reared by a seriously demented mother. The
result is the sense of a ‘community’ story, with characters’ lives interwoven
and the reader feels every bit a part of the story. Jones is, as ever, uncompromising in her
portrayal of such ‘issues’ as drugs and disability, but the issues are so
embedded into the narrative that they never jar or threaten the storyline. They
simply make the characters more real because they have the ‘real’ flaws of
‘real’ people. This requires expertise
and sensitivity on the part of an author, and Jones never skips a beat. I am particularly impressed by the way Jones
draws adult characters such as ‘mad’ Peter, and Helen’s drug-fuelled mother Hendrike.
While these are shown in a way that helps a child to make sense of them, they
are also convincing enough portrayals for adults to stop and think about the
relationship between adults and children. We see the child’s perspective and it
makes us consider our own responsibilities.
Julia Jones draws both adults and children into her narrative web, and
all can learn from the story.
As for the sailing, I leave it to those more knowledgeable
than myself to debate the in’s and out’s of that aspect. Given Jones’ knowledge and love of sailing
I’m sure it’s all accurate and ‘ship shape.’ For an ‘armchair’ sailor like
myself, I’ll simply say it’s all thrilling enough and interesting enough to
form the basis of the story. But there’s
much more to it than sailing.
Structurally the plot moves along with perfect pacing. I
found myself slowing down as I read to the end, not wanting the story to end,
but desperate to know what happens next. That, for me, is the sign of a truly
well written novel. Using a truncated time frame, round Halloween, worked
really well on a number of levels and the linking of historical ‘fact’ with the
present is an element I enjoyed immensely.
The central story is further enhanced by the opportunity for
the reader to ‘engage’ even more. The
‘Sole Bay Lectures’, delivered to the children by Angel’s father in their
entirety (offstage so to speak) during a particularly tense time in the story, are
written out at the end for anyone who wants to know more about the original Battle
of Sole Bay 1672 which forms an historical backdrop (and in some senses a
metaphorical parallel) of the modern ‘adventure’ part of the story. We are left questioning the ‘fictionality’ of
M.V.Vandervelde which is a writer’s conceit I particularly enjoy.
I get the feeling
Jones enjoys writing her fiction as much as I enjoy reading it, and feeling
that bond between writer and reader engagement is rare and powerful. Julia ‘gives’ throughout the novel is so
many ways. She also gives us additional
‘material’ in the form of personal snippets
such as reference to Ransome’s Picts and the Martyrs, and The Lady of
Stavoren. None of this reads like
‘research’ but all of it adds an extra dimension to the ‘story.’ As does the
‘Tales from the Wheelhouse’ section at the end where Jones explains her
personal connection to the Red Lion. Add
to this a glossary of Dutch words, maps, pictures of the ‘craft’ and a set of
wonderfully evocative illustrations by Claudia Myatt, and you are getting an
absolute gem for your money.
I have a sense of sadness whenever I finish a Jones novel,
knowing I’m going to have to wait a while for the next. But now, with four
‘Strong Winds’ to read again and twelve Ransome to keep me company till the
next one comes out, I may just survive until number five hits the shelves? Next
year please Julia!
Review by Cally Phillips
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