Juliet's Story [Paperback]

William Trevor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 4, 2001

Juliet loved the folk stories Paddy Old used to tell, and when he died nothing was quite right anymore. She fell out with Kitty Ann, her mother was expecting a baby, and Juliet got as cross as two sticks. Then Grandmamma takes Juliet on a journey - a long journey, by train and boat and train and boat, so Grandmamma tells stories to while away the time. They are different from Paddy Old's stories, and they all seem to be a little bit about Juliet, as well as witches and Christmas sunflowers and talking snails. And when Juliet and her Grandmamma finally arrive at a small fishing port in France, a sea-trout and an amazing toy maker give Juliet the courage and insight to start a wonderful story of her own...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Whitbread Award-winner Trevor's first novel for young readers is metafictional: it is a story about telling stories. Juliet, an Irish girl from County Tipperary, loves Paddy Old's tales, particularly a peculiar one about a man who has no story of his own--until a malicious piece of beef on a spit gives him one to tell. When Paddy dies, Juliet feels lost, but her grief slowly dissipates when her Grandmamma takes her on a fanciful trip from Dublin to the south of France. Along the way she tells Juliet her own unique stories (included here), and while Juliet finds an uncanny affinity with the protagonists, she still sighs, "I wish I had a story of my own." When she meets a toymaker on the beach in France, her wish begins to come true. Trevor has a wonderful knack for whimsical detail and gentle observation, and his sophisticated understanding of the powers of narrative is sheer pleasure. Ages 9-13.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-Through vibrant characters and expressive language, this acclaimed author's first novel for children explores the magic of storytelling. Juliet loves listening to Paddy Old, the village storyteller in County Tipperary. The elderly man says that everyone has a story, but Juliet is worried that she doesn't. When he dies, her grandmother takes her on a trip across Great Britain to France, hoping that she can work through her grief. Stories are told along the way, which makes the journey seem shorter and helps Juliet begin to resolve her feelings. Her travel is a heroic journey of sorts. She meets a toymaker who helps her save some trout from the hotel dining room and gives Juliet something that is hers to tell. She returns home triumphant, knowing that wherever stories are, she will find them, make them her own, and share them with the next generation. She has taken up where Paddy Old left off. She has been allowed to grieve and comes to accept Paddy Old's death in her own way. The stories allow her to observe life from a safe distance and recognize parallels to her own life as she is ready. This novel is interesting enough to recommend for reluctant readers, and would make a great read-aloud.
Cheri Estes, Dorchester Road Regional Library, Charleston, SC
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Red Fox (October 4, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0099417731
• ISBN-13: 978-0099417736
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,082,414 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

William Trevor was born in Mitchelstown, County Cork. He has written many novels, and has won many prizes including the Hawthornden Prize, the Yorkshire Post Book of the Year Award, and the Whitbread Book of the Year Award. His most recent novel Love and Summer was longlisted for the Booker Prize. He is also a renowned short-story writer, and his two-volume Collected Stories was published by Viking Penguin in 2009. In 1999 William Trevor received the prestigious David Cohen Literature Prize in recognition of a lifetime's literary achievement, and in 2002 he was knighted for his services to literature. He now lives in Devon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Juliet's Story, December 10, 2011

By 

Jack R. Robinson (Piqua Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Juliet's Story (Hardcover)

Anything written by Trevor deserves 5 stars. His books are superb, his short stories are so good you have to lay the book down for a while to recover from last story read. "Best short story writer in English language of our time" NY Times.