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A review by readingthroughthelists
Prince Across the Water by Jane Yolen, Robert J. Harris
4.0
Book 3 in a four book series, and easily my favorite so far. Unlike Queen’s Own Fool, the story is focused on a relatively short span of time (the return of and subsequent hunt for Bonnie Prince Charlie) rather than trying to cover years of history. And unlike Girl in a Cage, Duncan McDonald speaks in a quiet, mature voice as he comes to understand the complicated nature of honor, wisdom, and suffering.
I especially loved the three generations of McDonald men who are the primary focus of the book, and how each embodies a different perspective on Scottish suffering--the grandfather holding on to his ideas about honor until the bitter end, the father unwilling to suffer for a prince while his family goes hungry, and Duncan caught somewhere between the two. While Prince Charlie himself could have made more appearances and been a larger part of the narrative, he cast an appropriately long shadow over the story as a whole and brought many thought-provoking questions to the fore.
Overall, the book reminded me a bit of Kidnapped, but sadder, with higher stakes, and with more to chew on after the last page.
4 stars, will continue on to the last book.
I especially loved the three generations of McDonald men who are the primary focus of the book, and how each embodies a different perspective on Scottish suffering--the grandfather holding on to his ideas about honor until the bitter end, the father unwilling to suffer for a prince while his family goes hungry, and Duncan caught somewhere between the two. While Prince Charlie himself could have made more appearances and been a larger part of the narrative, he cast an appropriately long shadow over the story as a whole and brought many thought-provoking questions to the fore.
Overall, the book reminded me a bit of Kidnapped, but sadder, with higher stakes, and with more to chew on after the last page.
4 stars, will continue on to the last book.