Run Away Home

Ian and Sovra #3

by Elinor Lyon

In this, the third Ian and Sovra story, the pair discover that life in Edinburgh can be as thrilling as life in their own Western Highlands. For there they meet Cathie, who's escaped from an orphanage. They smuggle her out to a secret hut on the coast, where, after her rides in lorries and rolls of carpet, she's only too delighted to enjoy the free outdoor life of her new friends, while Ian and Sovra do a spot of detection for her. How they solved the mystery and found that this land of mountains, lochs and white sand really was Cathie's home is told in this exciting new adventure.

Paperback

First published January 1, 1953

About the author

Elinor Bruce Lyon was an English children’s author whose quietly influential novels combined adventure with emotional intelligence and a strong sense of place. Drawing on her Scottish heritage and wartime experiences, she wrote stories often set on remote coasts in Scotland and Wales, where landscapes shaped character as much as plot. Her books are especially noted for their balanced portrayal of gender, featuring resourceful girls, thoughtful boys, and shared leadership grounded in empathy, justice, and independence. Educated in England and briefly serving as a radar operator during the Second World War, Lyon later devoted herself to writing, producing more than twenty children’s novels between the late 1940s and the mid 1970s. Among her best known works are the Ian and Sovra series, inspired by the Highlands and admired for their realism, moral depth, and understated tension. Though she largely escaped critical attention during her lifetime, her work earned the praise of writers such as Walter de la Mare and has since been rediscovered through reprints and international translations. Today, Lyon is regarded as a distinctive voice in postwar British children’s literature, valued for blending adventure with psychological insight and humane values.

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cathie was found as a toddler, in her nightdress, during a bombing raid with only a torn ticket and locket around her neck. An older Cathie is unhappy with the strict rules of the orphanage and when she hears a Wordsworth poem read aloud, a memory is triggered which makes her all the more determined to find her home.

There are some wonderful characters in this book and the setting is beautifully described. The characters of Ian and Sovra are unusual for this era as they are equal in their relationship, they make decisions, take turns rowing and lead in adventures on equal terms. We thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of outdoor life and the way the children tried to uncover clues about Cathies home.

I like the the idea of the words and images uncovering a distant memory. I felt the author had a sympathetic view of children whilst reflecting the unsympathetic and on one occasion brutal treatment of children from that era. My daughter was shocked at how severely Cathie is treated for taking a Wordsworth book up to bed without permission! How times have changed!

A wonderful story, highly recommended.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is from my rereading this book in June 2009, about 45 ½ years after I first read it. I found it on my Goodreads friend Constance’s shelf and only then remembered it at all. Oh, I so wish I’d kept track over the years of all of the books that I’ve read. This one was so great and I know there are many others like it, many that I no longer remember at all. (When I was reminded of it I remembered this one well enough to assign it four stars, which is what I’d assign it now too, so I did get that right, but I didn’t remember it well enough to review it until this rereading.) This finding of a long ago book both makes me happy (I got to enjoy it again) and sad (I lost so many family and personal books growing up and the majority of my read books were always borrowed books and I wish I remembered them all and had some sort of record such as that which we can keep at Goodreads.)

I immediately recognized the illustrations that begin each chapter and remembered the story right away too, but I didn’t remember the exact details of the ending, so it was really fun to read this again.

This book is well written book and it is a wonderful, tame adventure story. There’s an orphan and Scotland and the sea, so much of interest.

It’s about Cathy, who’s spunky, resourceful, somewhat self reliant, clever, altruistic, and good-hearted. I love how she takes matters into her own hands and takes a risk in order to get what she wants so desperately. However, she’s very real, far from perfect; she has a temper, she’ll lie, borrow without permission, and break rules. I love the parts with just Cathy on her own, but enjoyed even more her adventures with Sovra and Ian. The three children together are very appealing.

I did and do understand Cathy’s longing for family. I’m sure at the time I first read it the surname Kennedy held some attraction for me. It must have been shortly after J.F.K.’s assassination and he was the first politician I’d ever had any interest in, especially after his death.

Well, this book is nowhere near as bad as Heidi re food, with that one causing me to crave cheese and bread every time I read it, but this book made me hungry: all that outdoor eating, and it especially made me want bread and butter, so I went out and bought some Earth Balance spread (a vegan margarine that tastes almost exactly like butter) which is something I normally buy only for the November/December holidays.

Goodreads is a wonderful place: I am so grateful to Constance, who allowed me to reconnect with this very worthwhile book. Thank you Constance!

I’m pleased to see that this deserving book is back in print.

[CLM · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review: https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/20...

Cathie is an orphan trying to follow the only clue she has to her birth family, somewhere in Scotland. Ian and Sovra are native Highlanders who spend all their free time exploring, whether by boat or on land. When they meet at Edinburgh Castle, Cathie is grateful for their help and friendship because she does not have their expertise camping and has no place to go. Can Ian and Sovra help her find her family and happiness?

[David Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exciting and very moving read! The third in the Ian and Sovra series changes gear from the first two and introduces orphan Cathie who escapes from her orphanage, following enigmatic clues to her roots. Her fate is entwined with that of Ian, Sovra and chieftain Alistair who's courage matches her own. There is nothing formulaic about the series. I think I read this is one sitting, certainly in one day. I couldn't put it down, as Cathie sought to stay one step ahead of capture. It was written in 1953.
My wife spent her childhood in the UK in orphanages in the immediate post war period, so I was deeply drawn to Cathie's desire to escape the cold impersonal institutional setting and find herself and friends. I had tears in my eyes by the end. A wonderful read. Again, I hope this author and series are published as ebooks so they find a new generation of readers.