Heartlight [Hardcover]

T. A. Barron (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 27, 1990

They were inseparable. Only Kate could coax her astrophysicist grandfather to stop slaving in his laboratory long enough to enjoy picnics in the garden. And only Grandfather's gentle humor could lift Kate out of her doldrums. His rambing New England kitchen was more home to her than anywhere else. Yet now something was different. Nobody--not even Kate--could get Grandfather to talk about his latest experiment. Only when a strange, otherworldly visitor nearly destroys the laboratory does Kate learn the truth of why Grandfather has been working so feverishly to identify a mysterious connection between the nature of light and the nature of the human soul. But before Grandfather has explained everything, he suddenly disappears--leaving Kate to search for him and for the secret that could save the planet Earth and the entire solar system from annihilation.

Heartlight is a quest with the highest possible stakes, a tale of mystery and adventure that will be enjoyed by readers of all ages. It is the story of the extraordinary bond between a young girl and her grandfather, and an eloquent statement about the ability of one individual, armed solely with the power of love, to change the course of the stars. If you would like more information about Kate's adventures, please visit the tabarron website.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Barron's debut novel is a splendid action-adventure science fantasy filled with deep, resonant emotional and spiritual undertones. When evil powers attack the sun, Kate's grandfather, a famous astrophysicist, embarks on a galaxy-spanning quest to save it from certain destruction. Refusing to be left behind, Kate sets off after her grandfather and is caught up in the ensuing cosmic struggle between the forces of light and darkness. On the surface, Heartlight appears to be an homage to the science fantasies of Madeleine L'Engle, and Barron does consciously tip his hat to her. However, his own imagination is so rich--the novel is filled with brave people composed of snow, mighty butterflies made of pure condensed light and terrifying, ferocious villains--that this book also shines as a bold, original effort worthy of repeat readings. Ages 10-14.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-- Kate's astrophysicist grandfather, using his discovery of the relationship of light to the human soul, travels through the universe in search of a cure for Earth's dying sun. Following him to the star Trethoniel on the back of a giant butterfly, Kate becomes caught up in a dangerous and wonderful adventure; in the end it is not science, but human love, that triumphs over the Darkness. Barron relies heavily on description, which tends to slow the movement of the plot. Characters are not sufficiently developed for a story with only two human protagonists. Given the book's blend of science fiction and Christian ethos, comparison with the work of Madeleine L'Engle is inevitable. Barron's story has an imaginative setting and well-conceived themes, but it lacks the stylistic strength and apt characterization of A Wrinkle in Time (Farrar, 1962). --Ruth S. Vose, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Philomel; 2nd Edition edition (September 27, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399221808
• ISBN-13: 978-0399221804
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #548,402 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

T.A. Barron is the award-winning author of fantasy novels such as The Lost Years of Merlin epic--soon to be a major motion picture. He serves on a variety of environmental and educational boards including The Nature Conservancy and The Land and Water Fund of the Rockies, and is the founder of a national award for heroic children. Following a life-changing decision to leave a successful business career to write full-time in 1990, Barron has written seventeen books, but is happiest when on the mountain trails with his wife, Currie, and their five children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Everything, May 6, 2000

By 

Josh Neff (Bryan, Texas, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heartlight (Mass Market Paperback)

Heartlight is one of those rare books which absolutely captivated me. It is a moral tale woven from dreams. In our technological, death-denying culture, it is refreshing to read a story which goes beyond technology and does not deny death. Its battle between good and evil is very convincing. It was lovely to meet characters who pray. And the way it ends, well, like the Retriever, it is pure gold. Read it and find the heartlight within your own heart.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Mystical Tale for Children, December 18, 1999

By 

Carol Luther "The priest who reads" (San Anselmo, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Heartlight (Hardcover)

I am an Episcopal Priest and a Children's Librarian. Heartlight was one of those rare books which absolutely captivated me. It is a moral tale woven from dreams. In our technological, death-denying culture, it is refreshing to read a story which goes beyond technology and does not deny death. Its battle between good and evil is very convincing. If Heartlight owes a great deal to Madeleine L'Engle, Barron does L'Engle credit. It was lovely to meet characters who pray. And the way it ends, well, like the Retriever, it is pure gold. Read it and find the heartlight within your own heart.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heartlight, March 21, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Heartlight (Mass Market Paperback)

T. A. Barron's Heartlight is a great science-fiction book. As you read this book, it is easy to sense that you are in the book with the characters. The book tells of a young girl who travels in outer space through her heartlight. Kate's mission is to find her grandfather in outer space in another galaxy and bring him home to safety. Heartlight is full of excitement and adventure as Kate searches for her lost grandfather who is trying to save the sun. The sun is running out of PCL (pure condensed light) and it is up to her grandfather to save the sun.
I really enjoyed Heartlight, and I am not a person who likes science-fiction books. This book is not one of those completely unbelievable books where you know that nothing in the book could ever happen. T.A. Barron writes outstanding details and descriptions in the book, and one starts to believe that the sun just might really run on PCL. The characters live within you throughout the tosses and turns of the book. T.A. Barron makes it possible to ride on the wings of a Morpho nestra, a beautiful butterfly, soar through outer space into other galaxies, get stuck in a black hole, and live to tell the story.