The Bell At Sealey Head - Patricia A. McKillip
The Bell At Sealey Head
Patricia A. McKillip
Ace
Fantasy
Every evening, as the last ray of the sun touches the ocean in the little fishing town of Sealy Head, a bell tolls once. No one has ever seen the bell. No one knows who rings it or why. Some people don’t even hear it anymore, simply accepting it as one of the noises the world makes. But there are some who hear it and wonder at its source. Gwyneth Blair, eldest daughter of a local merchant, still hears the bell. She writes (unfashionable for a woman) stories about the bell, assigning it various meanings and sources. Her stories entertain and delight her family and friends.
Judd Cauley and his father, Dugold, run the Inn at Sealey Head. They hear the bell every evening, too. Their more immediate concern, though, is that the inn has been mostly empty for years. Visitors to Sealey Head are rare these days. Ridley Dow, a traveling scholar who is very interested in the bell arrives unannounced one evening. There will soon be plenty of guests. Lady Eglantyne, the owner of the imposing Aislinn House, is dying. Her solicitor has sent for her only heir, her great-niece.
Unknown to most people, Aislinn House holds a whole separate world. The young maid, Emma, can see that world sometimes when she opens a door. She has no control over which door will reveal the other world, or when, but during her life, she and Princess Ysabo – who lives in the other Aislinn House – have become friends. Ysabo lives in a world ruled by ritual and wonders why. The convergence of all these people in Sealey Head may bring her the answer.
THE BELL AT SEALEY HEAD is a beautifully written novel. It reads like a beloved fairy tale. The descriptions are evocative and the characters suffused with warmth and personality. The pace is perfect as various pieces of the mystery are revealed. Gwyneth’s current story of the bell is interspersed within the novel; a sort of story-within-a-story. This novel is a great choice for parents to pass on to teens and pre-teens who are ready to further their fantasy reading. Highly recommended.
Rating: 9
September 2008
ISBN# 978-0-441-01630-3
Patricia A. McKillip
Ace
Fantasy
Every evening, as the last ray of the sun touches the ocean in the little fishing town of Sealy Head, a bell tolls once. No one has ever seen the bell. No one knows who rings it or why. Some people don’t even hear it anymore, simply accepting it as one of the noises the world makes. But there are some who hear it and wonder at its source. Gwyneth Blair, eldest daughter of a local merchant, still hears the bell. She writes (unfashionable for a woman) stories about the bell, assigning it various meanings and sources. Her stories entertain and delight her family and friends.
Judd Cauley and his father, Dugold, run the Inn at Sealey Head. They hear the bell every evening, too. Their more immediate concern, though, is that the inn has been mostly empty for years. Visitors to Sealey Head are rare these days. Ridley Dow, a traveling scholar who is very interested in the bell arrives unannounced one evening. There will soon be plenty of guests. Lady Eglantyne, the owner of the imposing Aislinn House, is dying. Her solicitor has sent for her only heir, her great-niece.
Unknown to most people, Aislinn House holds a whole separate world. The young maid, Emma, can see that world sometimes when she opens a door. She has no control over which door will reveal the other world, or when, but during her life, she and Princess Ysabo – who lives in the other Aislinn House – have become friends. Ysabo lives in a world ruled by ritual and wonders why. The convergence of all these people in Sealey Head may bring her the answer.
THE BELL AT SEALEY HEAD is a beautifully written novel. It reads like a beloved fairy tale. The descriptions are evocative and the characters suffused with warmth and personality. The pace is perfect as various pieces of the mystery are revealed. Gwyneth’s current story of the bell is interspersed within the novel; a sort of story-within-a-story. This novel is a great choice for parents to pass on to teens and pre-teens who are ready to further their fantasy reading. Highly recommended.
Rating: 9
September 2008
ISBN# 978-0-441-01630-3
posted by Deborah Hern @ 11:47 PM
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