A Parcel of Patterns [Hardcover]

Jill Paton Walsh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1983

Mall Percival tells how the plague came to her Derbyshire village of Eyam in the year 1665, how the villagers determined to isolate themselves to prevent further spread of the disease, and how three-fourths of them died before the end of the following year.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a boxed review, PW lauded this "beautifully written, meaningful story"--based on a 17th-century English event--about suffering, heroism and cowardice during an outbreak of the plague in a Derbyshire village. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-12?Talented British actress Brigit Forsyth becomes young Mall Percival to recount Jill Paton Walsh's touching story (FS&G, 1992 pap.) of life in medieval England following the Restoration and religious turmoil and through the death and devastation caused by the Bubonic plague. Her good diction and clear enunciation make it easy for listeners to follow the regional accents and varied levels of education of the speakers in the town. Her speech is steady and appropriately paced. There is no hesitation with the unusual sentence structure of the time period. The emotions of the characters are effectively portrayed; grief, fear, love, anger are naturally reflected in her voice and never seem artificial or contrived. The producer has made it easy for one to read along with the narration as the corresponding page numbers are printed on each side of the tapes. This excellent presentation will make it possible for a young lady of 1665 to visit with the youth of 1996.
Claudia Moore, W.T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 136 pages
• Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux (J); First US Ed edition (October 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374357501
• ISBN-13: 978-0374357504
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,176,371 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just for kids, November 13, 2004

By 

Linda Pagliuco "katknit" (CT, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: A Parcel of Patterns (Aerial Fiction) (Paperback)

Recalling what I liked and didn't like to read as a teenager, I am not surprised at the less-than-glowing reviews some kids have given A Parcel of Patterns. The old English speech patterns, though effective, do slow down comprehension of the plot, which centers upon 2 romances blossoming amongst a plague epidemic in 17th century England. As an avid but adult reader of medieval/Renaissance history, I can say that this book is a wonderful presentation of the experience of surviving amongst the hardships of everyday life, the Protestant religious conflicts, and the horrors of the plague and other catastrophic illnesses that no one could understand or effectively treat. I'd recommend this title to adults more than to teenagers, except to teens with a special interest in medieval history.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Memorable Book, June 17, 2002

By 

"tmsft" (Amherst, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Parcel of Patterns (Aerial Fiction) (Paperback)

This book is truly one-of-a-kind. Written without chapters, it is the free flowing diary of a young English girl who experiences the plague firsthand. Mall's unique personality and Jill Paton Walsh's direct writing style make this book a wonderful one. I was disappointed to read some of the other reviews which condemned the book for being too boring. If you fell that way, you obviously aren't able to appreciate this kind of book and should leave it alone. This is a historical fiction and not everyone likes such books. But if you are that type of reader, this one is for you. Thank you JPW, for a book I'll never forget.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Short Summary of Parcel of Patterns, November 26, 2001

By 

Caroline (America) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Parcel of Patterns (Hardcover)

I saw that two 12 year olds had read this book, and both announced it "slow paced" and "boring". I am 14, having read this book when I was 13, and I did not find it at all like this. It was definitely one of the best books I have ever read. It's about Mall Percival, probably around 16, when a parcel of patterns is sent to the parson's wife, containing a fatal disease. The story is very short, and while Mall narrates a very livid and realistic description of what is going on, you watch the whole town slowly die out. The book is, overall, excellent. Some other characteristics? Very sad, dramatic, interesting and informative. I highly suggest this book. Well, now you have some pro and con reviews!