Kate Ryder

by Hester Burton, Victor G. Ambrus (Illustrator)

In 1646 a young English girl tries to cope with the many pressures, changes, and divided loyalties that the continuing English Civil War imposes upon her family.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult

177 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Hester Wood-Hill was born on the 6th December, 1913 at Beccles in Suffolk.. She attended Headington School Oxford between 1925 and 1931 and then Oxford University between 1932 and 1936 when she received a honours degree in English. In 1937 she married Reginad W.B. Burton and had three daughters. For a while she was a part-time grammar school teacher and the Assistant Editor of the Oxford Junior Encyclopaedia.

Between 1960 and 1981 she produced eighteen books for children, most of them for the Oxford University Press and many of them illustrated by the incomparable Victor Ambrus. In 1963 she was awarded the Carnegie Medal for Children’s Literature for her story “Time of Trial”. Hester Burton died in 2000.

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hester Burton always writes well, but this book isn't my favorite by hers, mostly, I think, because the setting (English Civil War) doesn't interested me greatly.

It's not illustrator Victor Ambrus' best work either. Kate is about 12 when the book opens; I found the illustration of the unusually tall young woman on the cover off-putting.

[CLM · Rating 4 out of 5]

During the English Civil War, Kate is torn between her brother Adam's loyalty to the King and her father, who is fighting for Parliament.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Setting - English Civil War, 1646

Family conflict, English history.

Kate does not remember her father who is off fighting for the King. Her older brother Adam is on the other side, married to a Royalist. This is a well written story; exciting with an excellent female character.

[Margareth8537 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting view of conflicting loyalties when families were torn apary

[scarlettraces · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5)

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts off slow, but the last half of the book, about the siege of Colchester, is gripping. Good look at how the English Civil War split the country and sometimes families as well.