The Swallows' Flight

The Skylarks' War #2

by Hilary McKay

“A triumph.” —Philip Pullman, bestselling author of the His Dark Materials saga

Four young lives are forever changed at the dawn of World War II in this “stirring and unforgettable” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) novel from award-winning author Hilary McKay.

In England, Ruby has no friends because of the speckled blotches on her face that kids say look like dirt. And Kate is sickly all the time, her older siblings each taking turns looking after her. Ruby and Kate’s first meeting is nearly disastrous, but the two lonely girls soon strike up a friendship. Their connection becomes all the more important when England joins the war against Germany and the blitz begins overhead.

In Germany, Erik and Hans are best friends filled with plans for their future: Erik taking over their beloved local zoo, and Hans serving pastries right outside the gates. They never expected to be forced to join the national service, training as pilots and tasked with hurting people.

And in London a mistreated dog roams the streets looking for handouts, and for a friend.

All of these lives will cross in the most surprising ways in this heartrending tale of war and compassion, and hope that can be found in even the most unexpected friendships, brought to life by award-winning author Hilary McKay.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Historical, Childrens, War, Fiction, World War II

289 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

Hilary McKay was born in Boston, Lincolnshire and is the eldest of four girls. From a very early age she read voraciously and grew up in a household of readers. Hilary says of herself as a child "I anaesthetised myself against the big bad world with large doses of literature. The local library was as familiar to me as my own home."

After reading Botany and Zoology at St. Andrew's University Hilary then went on to work as a biochemist in an Analysis Department. Hilary enjoyed the work but at the same time had a burning desire to write. After the birth of her two children, Hilary wanted to devote more time to bringing up her children and writing so decided to leave her job.

One of the best things about being a writer, says Hilary, is receiving letters from children. She wishes that she had written to authors as a child, but it never occurred to her to contact them

Hilary now lives in a small village in Derbyshire with her family. When not writing Hilary loves walking, reading, and having friends to stay.

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 2 out of 5]

We loved The Skylarks War, it was a 5 star read for us, so we were really looking forward to reading this sequel. A couple of the original characters are in this story but they play very minor parts. This story moves on a generation and focuses on several families, a couple of German families and several English families. This became so confusing, each family had their own friends and relations so we kept having to stop (read as a read aloud) and discuss who is who. Towards the end of the book we found there were family trees for four of the families in the story, these were situated in the end pages so we found these too late to be of help and inadvertently saw a spoiler at the same time.

This didn't have the same feel as the first book, one chapter came close, the chapter about Christmas was wonderful, but the rest was lacking. The postcard from a son in a prisoner of war camp seemed unrealistic, he had used random capitals to spell out 'Have a plan to escape'
What also surprised me was that as cousins Clarry and Rupert grew up together, lived together and we're so close as children, like brother and sister, I didn't suspect they would get engaged and nobody in the story seemed to think this odd.
My daughter lost the will to carry on at around 200 pages, I carried on, the storyline was predictably tied up and I had really lost interest.

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erik and Hans grow up in Berlin. Kate and Ruby are in England. All four are born between the world wars and become entangled in the conflict as young people. The story of the boys in Germany begins with three swallows who need to be nurtured until they can fly. In England, a junkyard dog is also in need of a loving home. Hilary McKay tells the continuing story of the Penrose family from The Skylarks’ War and takes us all the way through to the other side where there is hope. Where the swallows return. And where two girls find their calling out of the tumult of war. I dearly loved reading these two books as much as I did The War That Saved My Life and The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. These would all make wonderful read alouds through the winter. Both McKay and Bradley weave in realistic settings with believable characters and endearing animals to help us all learn from the past.

[Jessica Gilmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nearly three years ago I reviewed The Skylarks War, the companion novel to The Swallow's Flight and I said: 'Occasionally, very occasionally, you read a book that slips so perfectly into the canon that it seems as if it was always there. That you read it as a child, reread it over and over, until it forms part of you along with Anne Shirley and Jo March, the Fossil sisters, Jo Bettany and Veronica Weston and Nicola Marlowe... the Skylarks' War is such a book.' Which made me equally nervous and excited to read the new novel by Hilary McKay, set twenty years later on the cusp of World War Two. I needn't have worried. Every word I wrote above applies just as much here in this beautiful, thoughtful book.

Kate is the youngest daughter of Vanessa and Peter, niece to Clarry, old friends from Skylarks. She lives in a loving, busy, slightly chaotic home in Oxford where due to constant illness she is the cossetted baby of the family. Ruby has grown up over a shop in Plymouth, locked in a mutually antipathetic relationship with her brother Will, and painfully shy thanks to the birthmarks on her face. Meanwhile over in Berlin Erik dreams of one day running Berlin zoo, his best friend Hans of owning a food cart outside. But for boys in Berlin in 1936 dreams are a luxury and as they grow up reality will shadow their lives and the lives of everyone they love.

Spanning a decade The Swallow's Flight takes us through these three different lives as the children grow up under first the threat of war and then war itself. It's perfectly pitched, with moments of true horror, sadness and humour peopled by all too human characters who have to work out who they are and what they stand for in a dark difficult world. Hilary McKay is a superlative writer at the height of her powers. I was moved to tears more than once by this absorbing and clever book. A book I know that, like its prequel, I will reread over and over.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks.wordpress.com/...

I approached this book with a bit of trepidation, seeing as I was not overly fussed by the first book of the series. However, I am glad I picked this one up after all because I thought it was so much better and interesting. Although some of the characters continue from the first book, this can be easily read as a stand-alone and a far better choice, in my opinion.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who knew that Hilary McKay could pivot so well to historical fiction? This is messy, don’t get me wrong - it careens between families and it can be confusing - it’s simplistic, sometimes to a fault - and I think the story it isn’t telling, about the adults, is the more interesting story.

But it’s got heart, and that carries it through.

On messiness and simplistic writing: one problem with this book is its lack of a coherent theme beyond “let’s humanize history”. The swallows are present, but are they as vital as the title makes them seem? Is the dog (Pax, I know, I know) so important that he needs a point-of-view section to himself? These are all a little on-the-nose (look! A Theme!) - and yet there are moments that feel transcendent, maybe all the more so because they also feel unearned. Will coming back with that bulb was beautiful.

The story as a whole can feel juvenile of course there are two friendly Luftwaffe pilots, and of course they crash in a perfectly situated English field - this is, after all, a story, and characters must intersect, but in this case it can seem to reduce the war to a set of shared coincidences.

On the adults: this is where McKay’s trademark sly humor really shines.

[discussing the new baby] Peter said that it was a common mistake to confuse baldness with brains…

And it’s where the horror of war comes through - around the edges, from people who’ve already experienced it once:

Kate’s mother said bleakly, not in her usual voice at all, “We never had enough rubber sheets the last time. They cracked, with all the scrubbing, and then the mattresses got smelly.”

Kate knew her mother had nursed soldiers all through the last war. That wasn’t what shocked her so much. It was the practical bluntness of the rubber sheets that cracked with scrubbing. The smelly mattresses.

And:

“Listen, Erik. Men have shops that women would never go into, right? And women have shops where men would blush to enter the door. And children have toy shops and book readers have bookshops and there are rich people’s shops in Charlottenburg where I would never dare show my nose! Never! Not a chance! The looks I would get if I did! They really might as well write, ‘Apartment Cleaners Not Welcome’ on the door.”

“What are you saying?” asked Erik. “Are you saying it’s just the same?”

“Of course it’s the same!” she cried, beginning to bang cushions about again. “Of course it is. So stop always asking questions.”

Maybe it’s because I want more about Clarry - what a great character - but I wanted more about the adults in this story: more about Rupert, doing something which is incomprehensible to the children he carts around, which has to do with peace - more about Peter, a hospital surgeon with terrible hours - more about Erik’s mother the apartment cleaner - more about Clarry and her school.

This isn’t as overly ambitious as I found The Skylarks’ War, where the war had a point of view that overwhelmed the entire story and competed with Clarry. But it does try to do a lot, juggling so many points of view, and I don’t think it succeeds in all of them. It has its moments, though. It’s got that distinctly McKay tone. And it has a lot of heart.

It closes in Berlin, with swallows swooping around a city about to be divided in two. For decades.

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a Middle Grade Historical Fiction. I really wanted to love this book, and Middle Grade books are normally my thing. I found the characters in this book fall short, and I did not care about them. The beginning of this book was very weird to me. I also found the Historical fiction parts of this book was just ok. This book just was not for me. The narrator of this audiobook was just ok. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely middle school historical fiction and WW11. This started out was 3 parts to the story that will all merge into the one eventually. Children are growing up and figuring out how they’ll handle war and disappointment.
Wonderfully written with likable characters and a interesting tale. I loved the dog and his journey in the story. That was an extra special treat.
I highly recommend this to any young teen who’s interested in the war.
I chose to listen to this and the narrator was Katherine Press and she was great.
This was 7 hours and 3 minutes of easy listening.
Thanks OrangeSky Audio via Netgalley.
#Netgalley #MiddleSchoolRead #HistoricalFiction

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

It's been a really long week and I don't even remember what work or personal hardship* made me pick this up, but it was exactly what I needed. I read this in two sittings and the second sitting didn't work as well for me, but I don't know if that was the book or me.

Clarry/Rupert forever!

*No CRISES or anything! Just things like the conclusion of a really big work project!

[Alex Baugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, The Swallows' Flight is a book about WWII and, yes, it is a companion to the WWI novel The Skylarks' War (Love to Everyone in the US) that told the story of siblings Clarissa (Clarry) and Peter Penrose and their friends, and whose children play a part in this novel. In fact, this novel revolves around 5 children whose lives eventually come together - Erik and Hans in Berlin, Kate Penrose in Oxford, Ruby in Plymouth, and a scrapyard dog in London, though for the most part, the timeline isn't linear.
In 1931 Berlin, ten-year-olds Erik and Hans are best friends with big plans for the future - Erik plans to become head zookeeper at the Berlin Zoo and Hans plans to open a kiosk outside the zoo and sell strudel. But right now, Erik is collecting flies to feed the young swallows he has just rescued. Hans has an Uncle Karl who introduces the boys to flying, which they love, and eventually causes them to become Luftwaffe pilots even though they never supported Hitler and the Nazis.

Although she comes from a family where the girls are all named after flower, in 1927 Plymouth, England, Violet decides to name her daughter Ruby Amaryllis. Not only does Ruby have a different name, but she is born with red birthmarks scattered over her face, causing her feel self-conscious and to shy away from people as she gets older. As if birthmarks aren't bad enough, older brother Will, 8, has no use for his new sister, and as children, he never lets her forget that. Ruby's mother Violet's best friend is Clarry Penrose from Oxford, who is given the honest of becoming Ruby's godmother.

Peter Penrose, now a doctor has married Vanessa and they have six children, including Kate, born in 1928 and who is their youngest. As it happened, Clarry is also Kate's godmother. Into this mix is unofficial cousin Rupert, who is as exciting and interesting to the Penrose children as is Han's Uncle Karl to him and Erik. But Kate is the only one who doesn't get to experience any adventures with Rupert. Kate is a sickly child, with lung problems and a constant cough, and by the time she would have been old enough, WWII had begun. But she is also inquisitive and a keen observer, and begins to keep a diary of everything that happens to everyone else.

Dog lives in East London and no one knows just how old he is. He is kept chained up in the scrapyard, and is supposed to bark away potential thieves, but dreams of running free. The only kindness he experiences is the scrapyard girl who at least acknowledges him with an occasional "hello, dog" and who, at the start of the war, attaches a luggage tag to his collar with the name Pax burned into it. Not long after, Pax is released to fend for himself, but luckily meets the kindhearted Rupert.

The story that unfolds is told in alternating chapters that recounts how the war impacts the lives of each of these five character until their lives converge. It's an unusual format, but one the works beautifully and the non-linear timeline is not at all confusing. Don't worry if you haven't read the first book. While it is well worth reading, The Swallows' Flight stands alone and there is a even brief family tree for each of the human characters.

McKay's writing is just beautiful and she has skillfully created a heartwarming, inspiration novel that includes appealing character's with distinct characteristics and personalities. There is just enough information about what is going on in the world, especially Germany, to give historical context to the individual stories. There is a glossary in the back matter as well as some historical background.

The Swallows' Flight is available now in the UK and will be available in the US on October 19, 2021

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was purchased for my personal library

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lovely book to read. It carried on from the first one but with some different characters. It was set in Germany as well as England and dealt with the Second World War but, it wasn’t sad. I do hope there will be another one after this one as I want to find out what happens next.

[the_wistful_reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

HILARY MCKAY ~ THE SWALLOWS' FLIGHT

When I heard Hilary McKay had written an accompanying novel to The Skylarks' War, I immediately pre-ordered it.

The Penrose cousins (including the cuckoo in the nest) all grown up, we here follow Peter's daughter Kate and Clarry's goddaughter Ruby, as well as two German boys, Erik and Hans; and see them grow up under the uncertainty of the looming WW2. "They grow up in worlds that would never meet, until war tumbles their lives together."

Hilary McKay has the ability to write family dynamics in the most wonderful way and her books (particularly these and the Exiles series) have that special feel of classic literature - effortless and evocative. Not once do you doubt her.

Compared to much of the children's literature written and published today, McKay's writing is gentle and slow-building, giving the reader the chance to soak up the setting, humour and emotions on the page. Just what I like, in other words! And it makes it no less compelling, you've got to know what happens next.

I was very grateful for the tying up of strings from the last book and was very worried that Rupert wouldn't make it home.

5 🌟

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young reader on Booktrust said that the only thing wrong with The Skylarks’ War was that there wasn’t a sequel. Well, now there is.
Hilary McKay has written another chapter in this family saga; this time, though, she tackles World War II. The book begins with two young German boys, friends called Hans and Erik. The story alternates with Clarry, Rupert, and the Penrose family as they navigate the inter war years of hardship and changes in society. The German boys join the Hitler Youth and the British family becomes more and more apprehensive about another war. The fact that it’s all told from the perspective of the young people filters a very complex story into a simple, but totally gripping, plot. The characters are incredible. There’s Grandad, who I’m certain is based on a real person, because I know an elderly gentleman he could have been based on! And then there’s Kate; darling Kate, with her weak chest and her propensity to worry about every overheard conversation. She keeps a diary, and she’s just such a genuine, likeable character that I so wanted her to grow into a courageous young woman. You’ll have to read the book to see whether her fears get the better of her! The front jacket design shows Ruby and Kate watching a dog fight in the wartime skies above their home. The remaining character on the front cover is the dog. Now, this dog is a remarkable character in his own right, one to rival Manchee in The Knife of Never Letting Go, who is my favourite non-human character of all time. If you don’t read this book for any other reason, read it for the dog. The dog is possibly the most significant character in the book, but to say more would be to give away too much.
I adored this book and had to wipe away tears at the end. I think Amanda Craig described it as ‘bloody brilliant’, and she is absolutely right.
The incredible thing is, how does the author take an amazingly complex topic like the Second World War and turn it so effortlessly into a gripping story that isn’t weighted down with facts and history; instead, with the lightest and most skilful of touches, she evokes the time of the rise of the Third Reich, Kristallnacht, and the Holocaust, whilst always respecting the historical record. She shows, through the characters of Hans and Erik, that the ‘Enemy’ were people with families and friendships and hopes and dreams- reminded me of Thomas Hardy’s poem ‘The Man He Killed’. This novel is a great novel, and a captivating story about love, and loss, and war, and peace, and I could not love it more.

[Kathy Mauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this favorite book of my granddaughter’s so we could talk about it together. I understand why she loves it so much!

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh man this book took so long to get into!
I wasn’t giving up though!
The book was great by the end as the story line moved faster and you understood the characters.
3.5/5
Didn’t hate it but desperately wanted to be reading another book 😂

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Swallow's Flight is a look into WWII from the perspective of four children - two from Germany and two from England. Getting into this story was difficult - had a hard time tracking the characters and their relationships to one another. So many names to remember! Kate's family was huge and I got lost in trying to remember each one. As I continued to read I did enjoy the characters but it was a hard story to stay with as each chapter isolated one character's events. I wish it had been a smoother experience because in the end I felt like things came together. Not sure if middle grade students could find their way through this one. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Debbie Gascoyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't think this was _quite_ up to the standard of The Skylark's War, perhaps because I didn't find a character who resonated in quite the same way as Clarry did in the earlier book. I found myself wanting more of Rupert and Clarry and less of the children. However, McKay is one of the finest children's writers working today and reading one of her books is always a pleasure.

[Jeannie Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book I’ve read all year

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting book.

[Lisa Overend · Rating 5 out of 5]

Described as a companion novel to Hilary McKay's astounding book, The Skylark's War, The Swallows' Flight follows the lives of 4 children in the run up to, and during WWII

Ruby Amaryllis and Kate are English girls preparing to see their older brothers leave for war, while Hanz and Erik are best friends and glider enthusiasts living in Berlin, Germany. All of them have their own big dreams and grand ambitions. When war breaks out and fate makes the four cross paths, they each have sacrifices to make and decisions to take that will effect their lives forever.

I was already a massive fan of The Skylarks' War, so when I spotted this on Netgalley, I knew I had to request an ARC. I actually squealed with delight when it was approved! Hilary McKay has a remarkable knack of tackling some very emotional and traumatic events in a compassionate and thoughtful way. The reality of war is by no means downplayed, McKay makes it easily digestible, though no less powerful, for a middle grade reader.

It's very slow paced and character driven, but it's all the better for it. The characters are well developed and very likeable, and the settings are described with intricate detail that absorbs you into the scene.

Like it's predecessor, The Swallows' Flight also reads so beautifully for adults. With themes of friendship, family, love resilience and compassion, it makes for a moving and poignant novel that it would be hard not to fall head over heels in love with.

Also, I really want a sherbet dab now!

A massive thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review

[Aldi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little slow to get into this, in part because some things felt incongruous - both Erik and Hans read very much like a British person's idea of young Germans during this era, and seemed to exist, at least during the first part, in this nice little bubble where Nazi ideology played almost no part in their daily lives; unlikely for two teenage boys who would absolutely have had Hitler Youth drivel pumped into their brains non-stop, without any real means of escape. (I mean, it was nice that they didn't fall for it, but it did come across a bit like the author underestimated how pervasive it would have been.)

I also didn't necessarily buy into the soft-glow retconning of Clarry & Peter's dad as just an old grump who's a softie underneath really, when he'd been such a genuinely cold and awful person in the first book.

BUT I absolutely loved Ruby and Kate, it was great to reconnect with the characters from The Skylarks’ War as grown-ups, and all the implied complicated goings-on with Rupert and Clarry were quietly heartbreaking. The stakes rise sharply towards the end of the book and suddenly I was curled up in the sun over a children's book, crying at simple, devastating lines. Damn you, Hilary McKay. Well played, again.

[sgh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such confident and efficient writing, like Skylark’s War but sharper somehow. There is not a single word going spare in this book, each one is there for an exact reason and this makes the feelings they provoke so swift and sharp it actually made me gasp in places. Will stay with me for a long time, no doubt an instant classic

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 The Swallow’s Flight is a war story for middle school age I would say. I enjoyed this book for the most part. It was written well. The book started pretty strong, but was hard to get through about halfway through. It felt like it was dragging a bit. Overall, a good story that I know some students of mine would really enjoy.

Thank you OrangeSky Audio on NetGalley for this copy.

[Ines · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a sweet character-driven story set around WWII and in different countries. Maybe because it was an audiobook, I found the characters difficult to keep track of. It was quite uplifting given the time period, but at the same time I'm not sure it's really meant for a middle-grade audience.

[Amara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This felt like I was jumping into the middle of a series with a lot of different storylines and characters all at once. I'm afraid I wasn't very patient with it as it is YA. I usually really like this author though. I quit pretty quickly I'm afraid.

[DaNae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Epic and sweeping. No one create surly, endearing characters like McKay. And all the other bits are great too.

[Bee Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is described as a sequel to The Skylark's War. I haven't read that one and was worried about getting lost in this one. However, from what I can gather, the Skylarks characters are parents to some of the characters in this one; I didn't find it hard to follow at all.

Don't go into this book looking for action or adventure. This is a slow, deliberate read stretching over years in both Germany and England, as a generation born after WWI grows up in its shadow and watches WWII loom closer. There are some details here that may frighten or upset younger readers; for instance, although it makes a horrible kind of sense, I had never realised that the British government advised its people to euthanise their pets ahead of the expected bombing. I've read one other book where it was said that strays were being put down; however, that was said to upset a character, so I was never sure it was true and had never connected it to pets before. That must have been awful for so many people, including the vets.

This is a great look at a very particular period in history, and a reminder that people are people, more or less, and their countries of origin shouldn't matter. Wonderful. And I'll need to look up Skylarks next!

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Swallows' Flight follows the fortunes of Kate, Ruby, Erik and Hans as WW2 approaches.

Kate, the youngest of six siblings lives in Oxfordshire with her large and bustling family. Down in Plymouth, Ruby lives with her mother and her brother Will, with whom she has a difficult relationship. Meanwhile, in Germany friends Erik and Hans are feeling pressure to join the Hitler Youth, although both are uncomfortable with the thought. The book follows the lives of the four through their experience of war, and examines the effects on ordinary people, even if some of those people are the enemy. It is told in alternate viewpoints, a style I particularly enjoy. I liked the portrayal of the German lads in this – it was good to read a book that showed them as ordinary young men. It was nice to revisit the characters of Clarry, Peter and Rupert from The Skylarks' War'. It took me a while to get into this. To start with, I found the girls' stories to be a bit confusing. I later found a family tree at the back, which would have been more useful in the front, but once I'd sorted them out I very much enjoyed it.

[Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sequel but i did not read the first one it was great and I loved all parts
Kate a sickly English girl but still “extraordinarily brave”

Ruby Kate’s cousin and friend also a English girl in WW2

Eric is a German boy who is a pilot but dreams of becoming a zookeeper


Hans Eric’s beloved friend and also becomes a pilot for Germany


And dog/pax (which means peace) is a scrap yard dog in east London


All of them very likable characters

[emkart_andbooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Przytłoczyła mnie nieco ilość postaci i ich korelacje (tak, dopiero po lekturze odkryłam, że na końcu jest drzewo genealogiczne), więc czułam się nieco zagubiona w tej historii.
Nie lubię książek okołowojennych (ale chciałam już to przeczytać, jako iż czytałam pierwszą część), dlatego też nie angażowałam się zbyt w fabułę.
Niemniej jest to dobra pozycja, ukazująca realia życia w tamtych czasach; nawiązanie historyczne z wyjaśnieniem na koniec na plus!

[ET · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved The Skylark’s War and was so pleased to find this book continuing the story of the Penrose family. I read The Dreaming Suburb by RF Delderfield a while back and The Swallow’s Flight reminded me of that although definitely written appropriately for the younger audience. A beautiful, classic story.