Grace

by Jill Paton Walsh

On September 7, 1838, twenty-two-year-old Grace Darling and her father rowed a small boat through turbulent seas to rescue the survivors of a shipwreck. Based on true accounts, this is the story of a woman whose quiet life crumbled around her after she became a national hero.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Juvenile

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Jill Paton Walsh was born Gillian Bliss in London on April 29th, 1937. She was educated at St. Michael's Convent, North Finchley, and at St. Anne's College, Oxford. From 1959 to 1962 she taught English at Enfield Girls' Grammar School.

Jill Paton Walsh has won the Book World Festival Award, 1970, for Fireweed; the Whitbread Prize, 1974 (for a Children's novel) for The Emperor's Winding Sheet; The Boston Globe-Horn Book Award 1976 for Unleaving; The Universe Prize, 1984 for A Parcel of Patterns; and the Smarties Grand Prix, 1984, for Gaffer Samson's Luck.

Series:
* Imogen Quy
* Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was quite interested in her story. It's not your typical 1800s young lady's life. However, if you're looking for a happy read, don't pick this book up.

[Connie T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

On a stormy night in 1838, twenty-two-year-old Grace Darling and her father, a lighthouse keeper, rescued some shipwrecked passengers from the rocks out at sea. The rescue is complete within the first twenty-odd pages of the book. The rest of the novel deals with the repercussions of that rescue. To many people, Grace became a celebrity, however others scorned her.

Based on true events and using excerpts from letters written at the time, the author describes what it was like to be a lighthouse keeper in the early 1800s and what society as a whole was like. Greed, politics, competition, religion, and the role of women in society are all touched on, to some extent, within these pages.

The language was a bit trying, especially in the beginning, but worth the effort:

" .... and when the door thudded to, and the uproar of wind entering abruptly ceased, they stood packed close, dripping icy water on the flags of the floor, and I heard the click ticking cumbrously while it dawned upon us that Father had been wrong.... "

and this:

"Not a lifeboat! That pottle! But a coble. Has taken us since half of seven..."

[Sula · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A well-researched book, following the life of Grace Darling from her famous participation in rescuing survivors from a shipwreck to her young death. It was interesting to learn more about her, but I found it a little dry at times.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

based on a true story. captivating.

[Tamsyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based on the true story of a girl who assisted her father in a rescue of people who had been shipwrecked off the coast of her family's lighthouse, this book explores the events at the time and its aftermath.

[Holly Ristau · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical fiction based on a real event. Grace Darling helps to rescue some people in 1838 and becomes a reluctant heroine.