The Desperate Journey

by Kathleen Fidler

Book Overview

A Scottish children's classic, bringing historical themes to life in a tale of adventure, hardship and new beginnings.

Ten-year-old twins Kirsty and David Murray love their crofting life in the north of Scotland. They collect shellfish, milk the cows and help their father grow oats and vegetables. Then one day the Countess's men come and burn their house, saying they must leave.

The family travel across Scotland to...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0863158811
• ISBN13: 9780863158810
• Release Date: May 2012
• Publisher: Kelpies
• Length: 168 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.1" x 7.7"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Story based upon Scottish Highland life in 18th century

Kathleen Fidler does a wonderful job of bringing history to life. She presents it so very well in this story based upon the plights of the Scottish Highlanders of the 18th century. It would be a great read for a young (or mayber older) teenager. I am 48 and previewed it for my son who is still to young to fully read it. He is a strong reader at 7 years old. I thought that I might read it to him but have decided to wait a couple of years. I just read Kathleen Fidler's "The Boy With the Bronze Ax" to my son and he was absolutely enthralled with it but this one does not have as much action in it. There is a lot of activity but just not the kind that would keep his interest. All in all, it is well written for the younger crowd and does present the true plight of the Scottish Highlanders.

a scottish children's classic

A desperate journey centres around a family from the highlands of Scotland being evicted during the highland clearances of the 18th century. Their journey from their green and lush home in the Highlands to the dirty hovels of Glasgow just as the industrial revolution was getting into full swing. Only the children can get jobs and illness soon follows, when their luck changes and they are offered a place on an immigrant ship bound got Canada. Their adventures include a brush with icebergs, contact with the Inuit and being dumped by the ships captain thousands of miles from their destination. Its a heart warming story of courage and adventure as seen through the eyes of the two oldest children in the family and unlike many of this type this novel is historically accurate. This book is stocked in all Scottish School libraries and there is an excellent schools topic pack available to accompany this book, but its also a fine read.