The Perilous Gard [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Marie Pope (Author), Richard J. Cuffari (Illustrator), Richard J Cuffari (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 29, 2001 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

In 1558, while exiled by Queen Mary Tudor to a remote castle known as Perilous Gard, young Kate Sutton becomes involved in a series of mysterious events that lead her to an underground world peopled by Fairy Folk—whose customs are even older than the Druids’ and include human sacrifice.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Richard J. Cuffari is a contributor for Houghton Mifflin Company titles including: 'The Perilous Gard'

Elizabeth Marie Pope (1917-1992) was an author specializing in Elizabethan England and the works of John Milton and William Shakespeare.Elizabeth Marie Pope was born on May 1, 1917 in Washington, D.C., to Christopher Herman Pope and Florence Anna Thompson Pope. In 1940, she received her B.A. from Bryn Mawr College, and went on to Johns Hopkins University, where she took her Ph.D. in 1944. She taught English as a professor at Mills College for thirty-eight years before retiring on June 30, 1982. She was a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism.Elaine B. Johnson, in her book Contextual Teaching and Learning, fondly describes her memories of studying Shakespeare and Milton with Dr. Pope (pages 50-51). Johnson recalls a teacher who was courteous, humorous, compassionate, lively, and excellent at drawing connections between her students' lives and the moral lessons of Shakespeare and Milton. Johnson also includes the comment that Dr. Pope was "weighed down by a heavy brace on one leg" and was white-haired, indicating that she took courses from Dr. Pope toward the end of her tenure as professor. For Johnson, Dr. Pope was not only an engaging lecturer, but facilitated class discussion with open-ended questions and interest in her students' comments.Her Newbery Honor-winning novel for young adults, The Perilous Gard, is an imaginative retelling of the ballad of Tam Lin set in the latter days of Queen Mary I of England and the early days of Queen Elizabeth I, featuring a strong, independent, clever young heroine, Kate. It also sympathetically discusses remnants of ancient pagan Britain driven into hiding by the coming of Christianity. Many of its themes will be familiar from the Arthurian legends, which are referred to at the opening of the novel.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (October 29, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618177361
• ISBN-13: 978-0618177363
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (79 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,349,765 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Good Stuff, November 27, 2001

By 

Kelly (Fantasy Literature) (Columbia, MO United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Perilous Gard (Paperback)

_The Perilous Gard_ is technically a young-adult book, but don't let that discourage any of you adults out there. Yes, it's totally PG; there is nothing in it that's inappropriate for a middle-schooler. And yet, it is still emotionally complex enough to satisfy an adult; in fact, it's more complex than many "adult" novels I've read.

_The Perilous Gard_ is based on several traditional English and Scottish ballads, mainly Tam Lin. Elizabeth Pope further fleshes out the ballad's structure by rooting its elements in even older legends and traditions; the magical well that is the entrance to the faerie land is straight out of the Mabinogion, and the Faerie Queen's sinister plans for her handsome captive echo the ancient Celtic tradition of the sacred king's sacrifice. And all of this comes together to make perfect sense; the Celtic framework provides the background information that the ballad lacked.

Into this magical world comes Kate, a wonderful heroine who is challenged over and over, and meets every test with amazing emotional strength. She proves herself the equal of the faerie folk when she is kidnapped into their land; later she stands up bravely to save her friend Christopher when he is to be sacrificed. In this version of Tam Lin, the "holding fast" that Kate must do is symbolic and psychological; the guy doesn't actually turn into wild animals and stuff, and what happens instead is even better. And the ending--the ending is PERFECT. I don't think I've ever read a better ending, in any novel. Kate shows her true strength and mettle, and everything turns out exactly right. I won't give it away, but there is a great sense of "rightness" at the end. This is the good stuff.

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There's a reason this is a Newbery Honor Book!, October 28, 2001

By 

S. A. Cain "writer" (Indiana USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Perilous Gard (Paperback)

This is a wonderful book! It's not just for kids--I'm 25 and I read it for the first time yesterday.

Kate is a lady-in-waiting for Princess Elizabeth during Queen Mary's reign. Her sister gets Kate exiled to the Perilous Gard, a keep in the middle of the Elvenwood. Her new guardian, the sensible yet likeable Sir Geoffrey Heron is called away almost immediately, leaving Kate in the care of the menacing Master John. Christopher Heron, Sir Geoffrey's brother, is a myterious and intriguing shadow around the manor, and there are rumours in the castle that he killed his neice in order to protect his inheritance. The villagers have a different explanation, though: that the little girl was stolen by the Faerie people who tend the Holy Well. As Kate investigates these rumours, she and Christopher are swept into a terrifying and deadly adventure.

The characters of Kate and Christopher are wonderfully round and engaging. Kate is smart, curious, practical and sharp-tongued, while Christopher is honorable, guilt-ridden, and full of dreams. These are two people I wish I knew! Sir Geoffrey, Master John, and the minstrel Randal are also developed well. Kate's sister Alicia, and the old maid Dorothy aren't so well developed, but still serve their functions in the story. The Lady in the Green is a fascinating and mysterious character as the Queen of the Pople of the Hill.

I highly recommend this book - this book is definitely deserving of the Newbery Honor!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Historical Fantasy!!!!!!, February 19, 2002

By 

Lady Anne (Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Perilous Gard (Hardcover)

My mother brought this book home for me about 8 years ago when I was in high school, and I absolutely could not put it down!!! Without going into too much plot detail (since other reviewers have already done a fine job of this), I would have to recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Elizabethan England, the folklore of Great Britain, or good solid fantasy novels in general. It's a great read for anyone over the age of 12, and it's especially great for girls and young women to read because of the heroine, Kate. There is something so real and appealing about her. She is very strong and intelligent when faced with an impossible situation, and in the end she finally gets recognized for the person she really is. Overall, this is an exceptional book, and will always rank among my all-time favorites.