Whippoorwill Willingly

by Margaret Dulaney

A mysterious invitation prompts young Whippoorwill Willingly to travel to an enchanted lake in the far reaches of the Swiss Alps. Each day's discoveries will alter the course of her life, offering forever friendships of all two-legged, four-legged and winged.

A guided dream for those between the ages of nine and ninety-nine.

Filled to the margins with Mother-Earth-Love

294 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2024

Reviews

[Elizabeth Frick · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful book! Very CS Lewis. I was charmed by the characters and I wish I could live in that world! Lovely illustrations.

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is listed in the categories of Children’s Fiction, Literary Fiction, as well as Middle Grade, which seems to me to be accurate since it is a story that children will enjoy, but adults will, as well since Whippoorwill Willingly seems to be wise beyond her years.

This is a story of a journey that is filled with charm, but also moments that share how Whippoorwill Willingly navigates the world. As this begins, she meets a stranger who entices her to board a curious train which takes her to an enchanted lake with the Swiss Alps in the distance. It’s there that she begins to view the world in a way that she had never seen before.

It’s rare that I find a book that can be enjoyed by all, with a bit of mystery, something between a mixture of fantasy and reality, while seeming to remain in reality, and still having a sprinkling of magical realism.


Pub Date: 02 Nov 2024


Many thanks for the ARC provided by Listen Well

[Cynic Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted so badly to love this one. I really did. But I just couldn't.
It came off very condescending. This is listed as inspired by C.S. Lewis but it's more like C.S. Lewis's "Silent Planet" series, not like Narnia. It's very forced at times, and I felt that the narrative was not like an 11 year old, but rather like an adult trying to re-imagine 11.

In the interest of fairness, I asked my 4th grader to read this too, as the book is supposed to be marketed to that age and he is an avid reader. He also felt it was too slow-paced and that the 11 year old "thinks she's a grown up and she's not." He refused to finish the book.

The book was written well enough with an original plot that I wanted to give more than 1 star, but I do think that the reader needs to be rather particular to enjoy it. My kids and I prefer books with a bit more mystery and depth so it was not for us.

[Theediscerning · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Good gravy" but this was bad. It features a girl who "respond[s] well to pamphlets" and whose mother has taken her from the US to a corner of Switzerland for an international conference on animal communication. Finding it a touch boring as it doesn't include the animals to talk to (…) the girl accepts a command from an utter stranger to pack herself off on some local trains to go somewhere and, well, frankly you won't care. The girl is as plummy as all get-up, and the whole scenario just reeks of the unlikely and implausible and the unwanted. To say it wasn't my thing is evident – and now, apparently, known to the whole animal world.

[McKinlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I think this is a good read. It has lots of emphasis on being still in the moment which I think is good for people of all ages to hear. Some things didn't really click for me personally with this book though. For a girl who sometimes talks with words and phrases well beyond her years, some things she says just don't match up at all. It was also very mystical and light which isn't bad, but I like a plot in my books, not just a character walking around meeting people and seeing things. As a book, this confused me, but there are lots of little phrases and moments that I think make it worth reading even if I would have preferred a more precept-like format.

[Hannah Forsgren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very meaningful intriguing middle grade book! Coming of age, exploring spirituality, and the connection of us all in one! Thanks to Netgalley for the early copy!