King's Falcon

by Paula Fox, Eros Keith (Illustrator)

With the help of a falcon, an ineffectual medieval king trades the troubled, boring life of royalty for the freedom of a falconer.

56 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Paula Fox was an American author of novels for adults and children and two memoirs. Her novel The Slave Dancer (1973) received the Newbery Medal in 1974; and in 1978, she was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Medal. More recently, A Portrait of Ivan won the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis in 2008.

A teenage marriage produced a daughter, Linda, in 1944. Given the tumultuous relationship with her own biological parents, she gave the child up for adoption. Linda Carroll, the daughter Fox gave up for adoption, is the mother of musician Courtney Love.

Fox then attended Columbia University, married the literary critic and translator Martin Greenberg, raised two sons, taught, and began to write.

Reviews

[Marcie · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I was shelving books in the school library today, I came across this book and decided to read it because as far as I can tell, it hasn't been checked out since 1981. It was published in 1969, purchased in 1972, and it was last stamped January 8, 1981, for return. There is no electronic record of it being checked out since the building's transition from a card catalog system. I'm surprised it hasn't been weeded.

It's a wonderfully illustrated and compact tale about a king who longs to be a falconer instead of a king, and although it takes him many years to abandon his position and a long, lonely journey to settle in as a falconer in southern kingdom far away, it is a joyous and content finale for the man who was searching for his true place and purpose.

[Edy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What could possibly entice a king o give up his kingdom to become a falconer? King Phillip realizes tha the has not found happiness n his kingdom as king. With the aid of the falconer, the king learns the art of falconry, then finds and trains a young falcon. As a falconer he finds the peace and contentment that he lacked as the king.

(I read this novel in the 70s when I was taking an adolescent lit. class. The critique came from one I did for the class.)

[Lars Guthrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A highly unusual fable of castles and kings, featuring a bored king, married by arrangement to a dull queen twenty years his senior (an arranged marriage), who rules over a shabby and lackluster kingdom. How he gives up that kingdom for a song and finds meaning in life kept me interested. Highly recommended.

[Christina Karvounis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful allegory for change and choosing a change. A moving story without intending to be so.

Read it to my 10 and 12 y.o. sons and our conversations following centered on themes of growing up, looking for your passion and preparing for the journey to meet it.

Wonderful.
(Read 1969 release)