The Linnet's Tale

by Dale C. Willard

Share the romance, drama, and adventure of small-town life among the mice of Tottensea Burrows -- as told by a very entertaining bird In the garden of an English cottage live the lovable, highly literate field mice of Tottensea Burrows -- Peebles Carryforth the Mayor; Opportune Baggs, the inventor; the Fieldpea family with their three beautiful daughters, Grenadine, Almandine, and Incarnadine; the widow Proserpine Pockets and her young son Farnaby; and Merchanty Swift, the bold mouse who becomes the hero of The Linnet's Tale. Brokenhearted when his beloved Pleasings Tatterstraw runs away with a charming French mouse, Merchanty, a daring trader, goes on to become a mouse of means. But when Tottensea Burrows is threatened, he risks everything to rescue his friends and neighbors. In the midst of danger, will he find love again? Full of wit and sparkle and irresistible linguistic inventiveness, The Linnet's Tale delivers pure enjoyment.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Childrens, Young Adult

208 pages, Paperback

First published March 26, 2002

Reviews

[Sam (Hissing Potatoes) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the very definition of charming. Every step of the way, my heart was soft. From the adorable mice names to the lovely cover art and illustrations to the consistent cozy bookish tone to the little English-high-society inspired mouse community to the utterly loving voice of the linnet as narrator, the whimsy swept me away from page one.

Admittedly there's really not much by way of plot until well into the second half of the book. The first half is basically vignettes of life in Tottensea Burrows that eventually thread together. But it didn't matter, because it was adorable and attention-grabbing and heartwarming regardless. There are tons of little moments of mice helping each other and being good friends and other meaningful moments that almost catch you off guard and just continually increase the enjoyment level.

The writing is very well constructed with themes and motifs repeating and popping up at just the right moments. If you're looking for a light, charming, heartwarming, short read with just a sprinkle of danger thrown in, this book was made to fit the bill.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was whimsical and bookish, but otherwise not very remarkable compared to similar anthropomorphic animal stories. This story is reliant upon the charm of the characters' names and their emphasis on reading and mousebooks. In fact, we learn the fates of the characters in the epilogue based on book titles, authors and descriptions. Whilst clever, I didn't think this was very special. That being said, I can absolutely see this being a wonderful book to read with a child.

[GoldGato · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tottensea Burrows. This is the name of the village where some very enterprising mice live. These are mice of the merchant persuasion, running bookstores, tea shops, and boardinghouses. Their story is told by a bird who has been adopted by the little rodent community and it makes for a charming read.

The introductions of each mouse family goes on a bit, but it all comes together in the final third act, as pirates and hidden treasures come into play. The story zooms along from there, as the danger of living close to humans elevates the sense of urgency for the characters and the reader. I particularly liked the final lesson learned about nature and how we all look at possessions.

Book Season = Year Round (perfect for afternoon tea)

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

My Amazon review: While written (and marketed) with the intention of bringing to mind other allegorical, borderline genre, talking animal stories (like Wind in the Willows or Watership Down), The Linnet's Tale will not make it as a perennial favorite. While the mice names and a few literary references are cute, the overall story is rather dull with very little tension being formed within the plot. Most of the book is given over to introducing and reintroducing the residents of Tottensea Burrows without much in the way of adventures (including a chapter of furious dressmaking and preparation for the Tottensea Burrows Midsummer's Night Fancy Dress Cotillion Ball, followed by a chapter describing the details of those who did not attend the Ball and not more than a page or a page and a half of the Ball itself) creating what seems to be a shallow set up for possible future endeavors of these mice in their newly achieved, materially unburdened existence away from the farm house and out in the field, where true field mice should be. Children will be overwhelmed with the vocabulary, yet adults will find the storytelling trite and predictable. A sadly disappointing read.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short book is set like a Brian Jacques book (like Redwall, Mattimeo, Mossflower). The tale is told by a "linnet" or a red house finch, who lives with mice in a place called Tottensea Burrows. The book reads a collection of short stories about the place and its resident mice. The ending chapters connect more, and feel more like a novel. Overall entertaining, I found myself smiling because the mice can be funny... but don't expect it to be hilarious. A good, light summer read.

[Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the style of Wind in the Willows, this is a lovely, whimsical tale of a community of mice. The writing is charming and the characters are well-developed. I especially loved the family who ran the bookstore. Delightful!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am ecstatic that I had a chance to get my hands on this book. Willard's style has echoes of Beatrix Potter, C.S. Lewis, and Jane Austen, and his novel is one of the most delightful books I have ever read.

[Mardi D · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly, I only got about 2/3 of the way through and decided that I had wasted enough of my time. There are cute parts in the book as other reviewers have mentioned but cuteness was not enough to drag me through to the end and I did find it was dragging. I found myself wanting to skip past sections that were not holding my interest but stuck to reading each page in the thought that it had to get better. It didn't. Too bad, as I kept it in my home library for more than 10 years until I finally could have time for regular reading time. That space on the shelf was wasted.

[Frances · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written for adults although it is about a community of field mice. And they are the most linguistic mice I have ever read about. It is a dashing tale about pirates, a Saracen sword (bejeweled), romance, and a plucky hero. I loved every witty word of it.

[Aisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute! Brought me back to my Redwall days as a kid. Very british and quaint, it gave me a quiet break from all the epic fantasy I've been swimming in recently. Highly recommend.

[Laila Adriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

i absolutely loved this book. such a perfect and easy spring read. it made me appreciate the little things in life - as well as the importance of family, community, and helping one another.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the garden of an English cottage live the lovable, highly literate field mice of Tottensea Burrows--Peebles Carryforth the Mayor; Opportune Baggs, the inventor; the Fieldpea family with their three beautifuldaughters, Grenadine, Almandine, and Incarnadine; the widow Proserpine Pockets and her young son Farnaby; and Merchanty Swift, the bold mouse who becomes the hero of The Linnet's Tale.

Brokenhearted when his beloved Pleasings Tatterstraw runs away with a charming French mouse, Merchanty, a daring trader, goes on to become a mouse of means. But when Tottersea Burrows is threatened, he risks everything to rescue his friends and neighbors. In the midst of danger, will he find love again?

From the back cover.

[Naturegirl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thinking this would be a simple read about the little lives of some mice who lived in a glen, I was rather surpirsed when it turned out to be a difficult piece of literature. The author is an english teacher. Although a sort of cute story, I was bored, and needed to look up a lot of words.

[Christy J-Furem · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet and charming set of stories that are very reminiscent of "The Wind in the Willows." It's light-hearted with an intelligent vocabulary and likable characters. A great read for adults and children.

[Harajyuku · Rating 2 out of 5]

Exceedingly whimsical. This description sadly extends to its relationship with plot, which it lets go and lays hold of at intervals. A lot of quaint characters in a narrative that skips between charming and cloying.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this Book ! It was written very well ,I loved the authors style and use of language.
It painted a beautiful word picture !

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a charmer!

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little fairy tale.

[Marjorie]

Even though I never aspired to the lofty position as "Children's Librarian".... Only having been the lowly assistant, I STILL am a children's librarian at heart!! Thus the desire to read this book!!

[Kyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming, but not cloyingly charming. I think I must have needed some charm, because I thoroughly enjoyed this short sweet mouse tale, narrated by a very empathetic linnet.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a charming adult fantasy tale of a village of mice (and an adopted finch) who have a wonderful way with words.

[Yvette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book charmed my socks off. It is imaginative, touching and also downright funny. I loved it.