Far Traveler [Hardcover]

Rebecca Tingle (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

When King Edward gives his niece ®lfwyn two choices-marry one of his allies or become a nun-Wyn is at a loss to decide. Her strong, warrior mother has just died, so it's impossible to know what she would have wanted.
Wyn takes the first risk of her life and flees. Disguising herself as a boy, she adopts a new identity as a traveling storyteller called Widsith (far traveler) and reinvents herself, drawing upon the books she has loved all her life. Soon she finds her fate inextricably tied with the dark-eyed King Wilfrid, who knows her only as Widsith, and wants her help in a plot against her own uncle.
Praise for ,I>The Edge on the Sword:

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up - An exciting novel set in 10th-century England. In this sequel to The Edge on the Sword (Putnam, 2001), which ended as King Alfred's daughter, Æthelflæd, was about to marry Ethelred of Mercia, Tingle moves a few years forward to tell of Æthelflæd's 16-year-old daughter, Ælfwyn. A scholarly girl with no interest in the riding, swordplay, or politics that absorb her widowed mother, Wyn is surprised to learn that her uncle, the West Saxon King Edward, has arranged her marriage to a much older earl in order to solidify a political alliance. Then her mother's unexpected death throws Mercia's future into a state of uncertainty. With King Wilfrid of Northumbria eager for an alliance with Mercia, Wyn's uncle insists that her marriage take place immediately or that she enter a convent. Knowing that either choice will mean the downfall of her country, Wyn decides instead to flee. Disguised as a boy, she passes herself off as a scop (itinerant bard) and adopts the name Widsith ("Far Traveler"). By chance, she joins King Wilfrid and his men and soon finds herself falling in love with him. When she unwittingly becomes embroiled in Wil's attempts to regain power from her uncle, she must decide where her loyalties lie. This compelling novel is filled with well-researched details, an action-packed plot, and well-drawn and sympathetic characters. Tingle is a worthy successor to Rosemary Sutcliff, sharing her ability to make British history come to life for modern readers. - Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 7-10. In The Edge on the Sword (2001) Tingle wrote about 15-year-old Aethelflaed, daughter of Alfred the Great, who became a powerful ruler in her own right. Little is known about her daughter Aelfwyn, who disappeared from historical record and literature following Aethelflaed's death in 919. Intrigued by the girl's disappearance, Tingle has created an immensely satisfying back story for Aelfwyn (Wyn), which mixes fact and fiction as it vividly depicts the political turmoil of the time. Wyn's life is probably more romantic than that of the historic Aelfwyn. At 16, Wyn seems shy and scholarly, but when her uncle commands her to marry or enter a convent, she disguises herself as a traveling bard and flees. Wilfrid, a Northumbrian king beleaguered by Norse invaders, offers the bard protection, friendship, and trust----a trust that may be shattered by a plan that can endanger England and force Wyn to choose between her own people and heritage and her friend Wilfrid. An introductory note provides a few facts about the real Wyn. Chris Sherman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 10 pages
• Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons (February 17, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399238905
• ISBN-13: 978-0399238901
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,037,151 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #73 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Historical Fiction > Africa

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Wait Is Over, March 18, 2005

By 

Grad school mom (Chapel Hill, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Far Traveler (Hardcover)

This is Tingle's second book about 10th century England; I eagerly await a third. Once again, the central figure is a young girl making her way in a man's world -- in this case, Aelfwyn of Mercia, who disguises herself as a boy "scop" (wandering storyteller and singer) to escape the political control of her uncle, King Edward. The story is rich in details about medieval life (the sort that make me long for time-travel), and although it's hard to imagine a girl as bookish and sheltered as Aelfwyn being able so successfully to transform herself into a scop, the momentum of the story carried me forward and over my doubts. I think I fell in love with her accidental protector, Wil, before she did.

One tiny complaint: there's no reason for this book to be marketed to a teenage audience. Adults are sure to enjoy it as well. I certainly did.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad, April 19, 2005

By 

moose (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Far Traveler (Hardcover)

This book was moderatley exciting and enjoyable. However, it could get quite boring at times. It's the story of a girl who disguised herself as a boy to escape an unwanted marriage. But, Elfwyn, this girl has no self confidence, no spunk and I found myself feeling bored as I followed the story of her half hearted attempts to escape and find herself. The climax of the book proves that she is yielding and supports the king who wanted her to marry a man old enough to be her grandfather. I was dissapointed by this book as a story, but I'm sure as another reviewer remarked that the historical information in this book was interesting even if I personally did not appreciate it.
I think I might be a little too old for this book as it is recommended for ages 9-12. Being 14 myself I was not so enteretained by it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Okay book, but could be better, January 9, 2007

By 

Dark Sheep (Wayland, MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Far Traveler (Hardcover)

This book was good, but started out pretty slow. I enjoyed the middle and end of the book much more than the beginning. I realize that the author was basing the book on historical accounts, but I frequently found myself confused and bored. The middle and end gets better, but I don't think that many people under the age of twelve would enjoy the book because of its difficulty level. Overall, it was interesting, but there could have been a little more romance between Wil and Aelfwyn. I also wondered why her cousin went from being her best friend, to hardly showing any kindness or interest in her at all. I give this book four stars, becuase all though it was well written, it was a little lacking in exitement