Praise for Song of the Sparrow |
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"Lisa Ann Sandell’s gorgeously written and seamlessly revisionist retelling of the legend of Elaine, the Lady of Shalott, is a beautifully conceived celebration of love’s timeless power for bringing equality, freedom, and peace to a world — then as now — riven by war." — Michael Cart, Author, Critic, and Former President of the Young Adult Library Services Association |
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Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) Sandell (The Weight of the Sky) invents a unique and eloquently wrought addition to Arthurian lore in 44 verses expressing the sentiments of Lady Elaine, the subject of Tennyson's "The Lady of Shalott" and other classical legends. Here, Elaine is cast as a motherless tomboy living in Arthur's encampment with her father and two brothers. Raised amidst soldiers who are like brothers to her, she knows little of what it means to be a woman until her passion is roused by handsome Lancelot. Any hope that Lancelot may some day return her love quickly dissolves with the arrival of beautiful Gwynivere, Arthur's future bride, who immediately steals Lancelot's heart. Elaine despises Gwynivere for her haughty and flirtatious manner ("A gown woven by faeries/ could not disguise her cruel nature," Elaine declares). Gwynivere conveys equal dislike for Elaine, but the two women form a bond in the throes of danger after they are kidnapped and held hostage by invading Saxons. The poetic narrative-a mix of observations, dialogue and laments-evokes a remarkable range (and natural progression) of emotions. Elaine's coming of age encompasses moments of adolescent infatuation, jealousy, grief and sacrifice and an evolution of friendship into mature love as she ultimately relinquishes her feelings for Lancelot and pledges her heart to Tristan. Characterized as unconventional for her time, Elaine encapsulates modern feminist values, proving herself to be as intelligent, determined and loyal as her male companions. Ages 12-up. (May) |
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Kliatt (Starred Review) Once more to the Arthurian Legend we go, as have thousands of others so many times in past centuries. This time the story centers on Elaine, the Lady of Shalott, made famous in modern times in the poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson in 1842. Sandell's Elaine is a young woman modern YAs will find intriguing: an independent, courageous beauty trying to find her way in a man's world. Sandell uses poetry to tell the story, and the brief lines propel the reader forward as the action and emotion build. Elaine, who legend portrays as a beautiful object, here narrates the story, telling of her responsibilities as healer and mender of the bodies and armor of the knights around her. She is friends with the young warriors: Lancelot, Tristan, Gawain, and even Arthur himself. She is there when Arthur is selected by Merlin to be the leader. Dreading their first offensive battle against the Saxon invaders, she takes action to help them and in so doing, risks her own life. Sandell's lyrical passages grip the reader as Elaine journeys through strange countryside alone, is kidnapped, escapes and devises a plan to help her warrior friends. Fear is a constant, of course, even in the midst of Elaine's bravery. Other emotions are present in Elaine's crush on Lancelot, and her despair when she sees he loves Gwynivere; and in Gwynivere's resentment at having no choice in being selected as Arthur's bride and her disdain for Elaine, who she sees as wild and common, allowed to run free with the warriors. Fortunately, Gwynivere is transformed by the events she and Elaine endure and the two form a strong friendship based on admiration and respect. An excellent modern take on an old story, sure to be pleasing to readers, especially those who like the poetry format. The author's note helps to place Song of the Sparrow in the context of what is known about Arthur. — Clair Rosser, KLIATT JSA* Recommended for junior high & middle school students Recommended for senior high students Recommended for advanced students and adults. The asterisk highlights exceptional material. |
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TeenReads.com Something about King Arthur draws people to his stories. Gwynivere. Lancelot. The wizard, Merlin. Gawain. Tristan. The Round Table. The sword, Excalibur. Throughout the centuries the legend of Arthur continues to grow. Britain, 490 Ad The adventurous Elaine of Arcola, known throughout the myths as The Lady of Shalott, lives with her father in one of Britain's war camps. He is an avid supporter of Britain and has joined the army to serve his king and country. Ambrosius Aurelius, leader of all Britons, is about to lead his people into the battle of Mount Breguoin against the Saxon army. Britain is on the brink of war, again. Elaine has been raised to believe that a woman's domain is in the home, not on the battlefront. But when she thinks of her father and brothers and the other men she's grown to care for, she feels she's in the right place. The people she loves most could march off to battle today and never come back. Why would she want to be anywhere else? The only other girl at camp is Morgan, Arthur's older sister, but she's much too close to the king for Elaine to share her deepest secret with — Elaine is in love with Lancelot. Elaine and Lancelot grew up together, playing games and running along the riverbanks, but all that was long ago. Now when Lancelot looks at her, all he sees is a wonderful girl. He sees a gifted healer, a girl armed with milfoil and poultices to stanch the wounds of the soldiers. He sees her skill at mending clothing and chain mail. He sees her loyalty, her hard work and her vital job within the army. But he doesn't see a woman. When King Aurelius is poisoned by a Saxon spy, Arthur is the obvious replacement. Young, powerful, intelligent and already popular among the troops, Arthur would lead the retaliation attack. Days before they leave, a beautiful woman arrives at camp. Gwynivere is supposed to be for Arthur, the new king, but immediately Elaine can see that Lancelot's eyes are drawn to her. The men who mean so much to her will soon march to battle, leaving her behind at the camps. The man she loves is falling for someone else, and since Lancelot doesn't yet see Elaine as a woman, who can blame him? With all that Elaine holds dear weighing in the balance, she must decide who she will be, what role she will play and how far she will go for love. Written entirely in free verse poetry, SONG OF THE SPARROW is a wonderful addition to the Arthurian legends, offering readers an inside look into the mysterious Lady of Shalott. Lisa Ann Sandell weaves together lyrical images and vivid characters to create a compelling romance between two of the famous players in Arthur's world. Elaine's story transports readers and dares them to imagine a time long ago — when powerful men vied to rule the land through war, the weak had to fight for their rights, and the common people dreamed of equality and hope. A time not so unlike our own. — Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens |
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Teensreadtoo.com Reviewed by: Holly Rating: 5 Stars Sixteen-year-old Elaine of Ascolat is amazingly beautiful with her long red hair and her soft natural face. Living in an army camp full of all guys, Elaine figures the handsome Lancelot to be her true love. Until her troubles and daydreams get the best of her, when even prettier Gwynivere arrives at the camp and is immediately drawn to Lancelot — even though she is engaged to Arthur. Gwynivere's mean remarks but beautiful outer self makes Elaine jealous enough to play a cruel prank on her, but when her friends and family leave her to go fight the Saxons, her heart tells her to pack a bag and go with them to heal the wounded. Shot by arrows and cut by a knife, Elaine gains both friendship and confidence in herself. This exciting book by Lisa Ann Sandell makes you feel like you are back in olden times, right there fighting with Elaine. This is a VERY well-written book and I recommend it to all. A great read! |
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Bookslut In Song of the Sparrow author Lisa Ann Sandell has set her sites on King Arthur and the days when the Round Table was a place to set battle plans against the invading Saxons. Her verse novel is told from the perspective of Elaine of Ascolat, a teenager who grew up in the war camps as the daughter of one of Arthur’s knights. Her family lived in Shalott, before the invading Picts took it all away and her mother was murdered and her father and brothers became warriors. Elaine has grown up around many men, learning the ways of healing and tending to their sewing and mending as the wife/mother/daughter that all of them had to leave behind. She is loyal to Arthur, dear friend to his sister Morgan and hopelessly in love with the knight Lancelot. Fate intervenes in the life she has always known with the death of the Briton leader (the historically real Ambrosius Aurelius). Arthur rises to power, the beautiful Gwynivere, who seems to be everything Elaine is not, arrives and suddenly the war escalates. In the book’s pivotal chapters, Elaine finds herself questioning everything she has ever known about the men around her and, on a more painfully personal note, wondering if she is the “right sort” of woman to have romantic love in life. It is unnecessary for readers to have any prior knowledge of Alfred Tennyson’s epic poem, “The Lady of Shalott” or even Arthur and Camelot to enjoy Song of the Sparrow. In fact, one of the strongest points in the book is the way in which Sandell writes about war, an aspect of the Arthurian legend that always seems to get short shrift in comparison to all the romance, magic and intrigue. (Merlin is here, but plays a decidedly smaller role then you would expect.) Here is some of what Sandell shares about the war between the Britons and Saxons: The noise brings me back, the fearsome noise of swords striking swords, a metallic clanging that rings in my ears, echoing and echoing the fearsome din of men screaming and crying as they meet the sharp ends of blades. They fall, they die. The battle plays out like a game, a game my brothers once played with toy soldiers, drums and shouts measuring the beat. But this war is no dance; it is no game. My father and brothers are down there. Sparrow is filled with some of the most thrilling writing I have found about medieval battle and most impressively it is a book that also manages to be a great coming-of-age story and a romance (not, as it turns out, with Lancelot but with a far more interesting and also infamous knight). I was quite pleased to me that when a spy was revealed and Elaine had a chance to do something to help her friends, she did it. Gwynivere’s motives are unexpected and her part in the story is much more surprising. But part of Sandell’s goal with Sparrow was to give the women more credit, for while the truth behind Arthur and his knights is still a mystery, the fact that Elaine and the other female characters in these long told stories have “suffered at the hands of male writers” is clear. Sandell wanted to give them a chance to shine, as she writes in the story’s afterword: "I wanted to give her [Elaine] strength and power and relevance. And indeed, it is without a sword that she manages to save her friends and loved ones.” Sandell has succeeded brilliantly in writing a gripping tale of equally strong male and female characters. It is a compelling thriller and first class story of love, battle and betrayal with familiar characters filling their roles in a much deeper and fascinating way. This is a side of Arthur that few readers have had a chance to explore and seeing him and his men on the battlefield, through the eyes of someone who cared about them, makes him less a mythic figure than a man and a leader who struggled to do the best thing for his men and his people. Sandell wanted to humanize these figures with her story, and she has done that. Song of the Sparrow is a great place for teens to discover just what Arthur’s life might really have been like as he sought to build a peaceful world. We all think we know the story of Camelot but as the author shows here there is so much more to this story yet to be discovered. |
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Voice of Youth Advocates This very different retelling of Arthurian legends is a poetic account of the battle against the Saxons that includes Arthur's agreement to marry Gwynivere in exchange for her father's support in battle. The Round Table is a fire pit with benches around it. The narrator is Elaine, a young Lady of Shalott, who has grown up in Arthur's camp after the death of her mother. She worships Lancelot, who befriended her as a young girl. But Gwynivere's arrival changes everything. Haughty and stuck up, she is not about to sully her hands by helping the only other girl, Elaine, with her mending or healing duties. Even worse, Lancelot is smitten with his future queen and responds with harsh words to the tenderhearted girl who worships him. Fortunately Tristan, still suffering over his lost love, starts as Elaine's friend and eventually replaces Lancelot in her affections. When Arthur and company leave camp to battle the Saxons, Elaine follows. Captured by Saxons at the end of a five-day march, it is Gwynivere who saves her life. She had followed Elaine and now shares her captivity, escapes to bring back help, and becomes a true friend to Elaine in the end, revealing her own feelings of helplessness and inadequacy at the arranged marriage foisted on her. The happy ending has only one flaw in Lancelot's continued obsession with Gwynivere, who is now determined to stand by her vows to Arthur. This girl-centered retelling is beautifully written and full of action, for fantasy and poetry fans alike. VOYA CODES: 5Q 4P J S (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). — Bonnie Kunzel |
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Yabookscentral.com Medieval Love & War, a review by Amber, 2007 Demi-Goddess Elaine, better known as the Lady of Shalott, is the only girl in a camp full of warriors. Ever since raiders killed her mother, Elaine has been living with he father and brothers in King Arthur's camp. The Britons are rallying their troops to try and drive out the Saxon invaders from their land. Elaine plays an important role in the battles. She has learned the art of healing over the years, and is always ready with the proper herbal remedies when a man is wounded. Plus, the men depend on her for help when their clothes need mending. As the only girl in camp, Elaine sometimes wishes for more female companionship. But usually Elaine is content to run wild with the guys, especially Lancelot, whom she looks up to as her hero. One day, Gwyneviere, a beautiful young lady arrives at camp. Her father has offered to marry her to Arthur, and Elaine is excited to have another girl around. But right from the start, Gwyneviere is cruel and snobby towards Elaine, treating her as a dirty, ignorant child. Elaine cannot help but be jealous of Gwyneviere, for her beauty and for all of the attention and love she garners from Lancelot. Gwyneviere does nothing to help out around camp, and Elaine resents her for intruding into her life. When the men go off into battle against the Saxons, Elaine follows, like she always does. But this time, she is captured by Saxons and Gwyneviere tries to save her! The two girls must put their differences aside and band together if they are to survive and warn the men of the Saxon's plans. Lisa Ann Sandell writes a beautiful story, taking the legends of Arthur from a perspective rarely pursued. Song of the Sparrow speaks of love, friendship, truth, and courage in the voice of an innocent girl arriving at womanhood. While many of the stories written about King Arthur fail to address the women in the story as more than ornaments, Sandell brings Elaine and Gwyneviere to the forefront of the story and illustrates how much of an impact they had on the battles. Song of the Sparrow is a very empowering read for girls, and I savored every last word. |
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Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books This novel in free-verse poems explores the early days of pre-Camelot Arthur through the first-person perspective of sixteen-year-old Elaine, one of his followers. Elaine, the only girl in a war camp, is secretly in love with Lancelot, enamored with her role as healer and nurse to her hundreds of adopted brothers, and fearful, as they all are, that escalating tensions may mean that these men will never return to their families. The addition to camp of the stunning but aloof Gwynivere as Arthur’s betrothed, with whom Lancelot is immediately besotted, only causes more turmoil in Elaine’s life, pushing her to a desperate choice to secretly follow the men into battle. The paths to true love and peace may each be far rockier than expected, but Elaine is a stubborn, if foolhardy, protagonist, ready to shed the gendered limitations placed on her and play an active role in her pursuit of both. There is an elegance and romance in the economy of Sandell’s free verse that pairs well with the chivalry, austerity, and patriotism that guides every action of these characters. If Elaine’s end-of-book discovery of her “other” true love in Tristan may be a bit too convenient, there is still undeniable chemistry and powerful intensity in their pairing, described in sweeping and breathless language that will make any romance fan swoon. Even with the feminine perspective and heavy emphasis on love, the effectively creepy descriptions of the prophesying Merlin, the terse metaphors of blood and war, and the undeniable masculinity of the camp are effective selling points to extend the audience. An author’s note provides references about the literary Elaine, on whom this character was based, and a list of recommended readings suggests the trove of literature and myth awaiting teens interested in exploring Arthurian legends further. |
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