I Will Adventure: 2

by Elizabeth Gray Vining

Delightful historical with Tudor London background centred around the adventures of twelve-year-old Andrew Talbot who "in his own eyes...was small, quiet and dangerous". Andrew, youngest son of a large, loving squire's family, leaves somewhat reluctantly for London to become the page of cousin Sir John Talbot. Woven around the ups and downs of paging - from scolding and chores to lute lessons, seeing London, and puncturing the bran-expanded trunks of the Talbot steward - are Andrew's joyful encounters with Master Shakespeare, who, having recently lost a son, tenders fatherly advice. The story is indeed simple, but the warmth of characterization, the bounding youthful good spirits, and the scholarly detail selected for function rather than flourish (Andrew, blessedly, does not meet the Queen, and Sweet Will in the boy's view is merely pleasantly and vaguely adult) make a buoyant, gay excursion into the past.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens

Hardcover

First published September 17, 1962

About the author

Elizabeth Gray Vining began her distinguished writing career with children's books because she said "they enjoy their books so much, read and re-read them—which is satisfying to a hard-working author." Later she began to write for adults as well, and they, too, read and re-read her books. among the most popular of these books are Windows for the Crown Prince, The Virginia Exiles, Friend of Life, Take Heed of Loving Me, and Flora.
—From the back of "Return To Japan"
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Elizabeth Janet Gray, also known as Elizabeth Gray Vining, was a prominent Quaker, known for having gone to Japan after World War II to tutor Emperor Akihito of Japan in English while he was the Crown Prince. She was a graduate of Bryn Mawr College, and a noted author of children's and adult literature. She won the Newbery Award for Adam of the Road, published in 1942.

Reviews

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as good as Adam of the Road, but still engaging and instructive about both the world of the past in Shakespeare's day and the eternal truths of human nature. This book wraps up with such great promise of things to come. I wish there were a sequel.