Wild Bird
In the late 1300s, the plague spreads through Europe to Norway. A girl is the only survivor of her fishing village and is found by a ship of English merchant sailors. She doesn’t remember what happened or even her name. They call her “Rype” because she looks a bit like the bird of the same name, especially when she stands on one leg, which she does to calm herself. Soon, sailors become ill and die, and the healthy sailors blame Rype. She is protected by the captain, until he, too, sickens and dies. The sailors want to throw her overboard, but the captain’s son, Owen, rows her to shore and stays with her. They are in plague-ridden Frisia. The cities are closed, and the two cannot find a ship that will take passengers. Owen wants to return to his mother and sister in England and invites Rype to live as a sister there with him. The two befriend and travel with a group of troubadours, who assure them that they can get a ship in Marseilles. They travel and sing and have many adventures across the continent. But will Rype be happy in England? Will the group of good friends all survive the plague?
This is an excellent story of the plague and the Middle Ages. The descriptions of sickness and death are realistic without being grotesque. Historical details such as the nature of religion, the class system, the clothing, food, medicine, transportation, etc., are explained to the reader without being didactic. Rype, Owen, and the troubadours are engaging characters. My only criticism is that I was unsure of Rype’s age (around 12) until the end of the book. I wish I had known earlier. An excellent story. Ages 8-12.
