Beyond the Western Sea, Book Two: Lord Kirkle's Money [Hardcover]

Avi (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 11 and up | Series: Beyond the Western Sea

Continues the adventures of fifteen-year-old Maura, her younger brother Patrick, a young stowaway, and some unusual characters as they sail from England to the New World in 1851.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It is no small feat replicating the narrative style, character types and intricate plotting of a 19th-century serial novel, but Avi continues to accomplish the task with panache in Book Two of his ongoing saga about a family of poor Irish immigrants and the runaway son of an English lord. Just as good as its predecessor, The Escape from Home (Children's Forecasts, Apr. 1), this story begins where that book left off. Siblings Patrick and Maura O'Connell, aboard the Robert Peel on their way to meet their father in the U.S., are sharing cramped quarters with hundreds of other travelers. Lord Laurence Kirkle, robbed of his fortune, is a stowaway, while his two enemies, Mr. Clemspool and Mr. Grout, enjoy the comforts of first class accommodation. The stew of trouble that begins to simmer on ship comes to full boil when Patrick, Maura and Laurence finally set foot on land and discover just what kind of opportunity awaits them in America. Poverty, wretched working conditions, anti-Irish sentiments and news of Mr. O'Connell's death are only a few of the obstacles crossing the youngsters' paths. The future holds some promise for the characters by the time this book ends, but plenty of loose ends remain to whet appetites for another installment. Adventure lovers should not be intimidated by the thickness of this volume. Its short chapters full of clever narrative hooks and fast-paced adventure will keep most readers on the edge of their seats. Ages 11-14.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9?This sequel to Beyond the Western Sea: Book One (Orchard, 1996) continues the adventures of Patrick and Maura O'Connell and their friends Mr. Horatio Drabble and Laurence Kirkle as they sail to America. This book begins with the four on-board ship, with Laurence a stowaway and Maura, Patrick, and Mr. Drabble traveling in steerage. True to its Dickensian flavor, the villains are also on board. On arrival in Boston, all end up in the mill city of Lowell, MA. Patrick and Maura's father has died and the children find themselves facing anti-Irish sentiment, a greedy mill owner, poverty, inhuman working conditions, and, of course, all the villains. The action jumps back and forth from one person to another as their paths cross and recross. All characters "coincidentally" come together at the climax and the villains are vanquished. This is a well-written, but overly ambitious work that suffers from an overabundance of characters. The lack of a major hero and a primary villain fragments the work. Character development is minimal and the many different plots stop and start so often that the focus is lost. Avi's ability to use words and dialogue to develop a strong sense of time and place is evident and his theme that all people are created equal and that evil cannot be blamed on anything but evil individuals is strongly and clearly presented. For that reader who enjoys a well-written historical novel and who will not be deterred by the two-volume length or the complexity of the plots, this will satisfy if not excite.?Wendy D. Caldiero, New York Public Library
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 11 and up
  
• Hardcover: 380 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic; 1st edition (September 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0531095207
• ISBN-13: 978-0531095201
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,092,857 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Avi has published more than sixty books. Among them is Crispin: The Cross of Lead, winner of the 2003 Newbery Medal. Other novels with nineteenth-century settings, like The Traitors' Gate -- his grand nod to the work of Charles Dickens -- are listed before the title page, and include the Newbery Honor Book, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. Avi and his family live in Denver, Colorado.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Account of Maura and Patricks continuing saga., April 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Lord Kirkle's Money (Beyond the Western Sea, Book 2) (Paperback)

After I first finished book one in this series, I couldn't wait to read this one. Although it was a bit disturbing( personaly I don't like dramatic parts of books), I enjoyed this adventurous and captivating sequal to Escape From Home.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Page Turner, will keep you hooked!, May 8, 2001

By 

Maryam (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beyond the Western Sea, Book Two: Lord Kirkle's Money (Library Binding)

This book has many characters so it would be hard for me to summarize a review of what it's about. What I can tell you is that I hadn't read the first book and I thought I would be confused while I read this book, but I drifted along with everything that happened. Much suspense and everytime on thing happens it is quickly changed by someone else. In the begin I thought it wasn't worth my time, but when I reached the middle I knew that it had to be 5 stars and nothing less!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Avi's Lord Kirkle's Money, December 6, 2000

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Lord Kirkle's Money (Beyond the Western Sea, Book 2) (Paperback)

Lord Kirkle's Money picks right up from book one. As the O'Connells travel across the western sea they take in a girl on the same boat whose parents have died. The boat has an epidemic of ship fever. Patrick struggles to sneak his stowaway friend, Laurence, enough food. Meanwhile, Mr. Drabble, a companion of the O'Connells', teaches his rich friend proper grammar in order to make some money. The O'Connells are to be picked up by their father in America. Are they sure their father is still alive? If not, what will become of them? There are many people in America who will do almost anything to stop Irish and the other immigrants from staying in America. Where will Mr. Drabble go? Will the O'Connells survive? Avi has done it again! His book is filled with adventure. It would definitely go in my top 50 list. There are lots of problems and some how, everything ties in. Even though the words don't take you away, this book definitely has power. Avi puts in lots of conflict and gives every character strong feelings. Whether the character is good or evil, he or she does something for the opposite. Everything turns out okay,but are you sure that it's the way it should be? Avi's books are just inspirational.