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Sun Slower, Sun Faster
This is an adventurous story with a difference--it is soon after World War II, but Cecil (short for Cecilia) and her cousin, Rickie, are thrown into a series of adventures that have little to do with the England that they know. Inexplicably, they, and sometimes their eccentric and interesting tutor, Dominic, find themselves in another time-usually right in the middle of a dramatic, if not harrowing, moment. Every dip into time takes them farther back and each time they experience another chapter of the Church's history and teachings. At once fun and frightening, these escapades into the past take on deeper and deeper significance. Each of these three Cecil, Rickie, Dominic are faced with things from their own pasts which touch deeply upon who they are in the present and who they will choose to be in the uncertain but tantalizing future. They have much to sort out, as history-especially the history of the Christian Faith-comes unexpectedly alive.
290 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1957
2 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
Meriol Trevor
59 books22 followersThe prolific Meriol Trevor, BA, FRSL was a writer of novels, biographies, and children's books. A convert to Roman Catholicism, Trevor wrote a two-volume biography of John Henry Newman (The Pillar of the Cloud and Light in Winter) which won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 1962.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 22, 2024
ENGLISH: This book is a backwards revision of the history of England by means of time jumps of the main characters (five of them). It is not a science-fiction novel, for there is no time machine and the time jumps are done just like that, through the action of "magic" (but not magic).
But there is a main thread along the novel: the conversion to Catholicism of three of the main characters. This is clearly seen in the third to fifth jumps in time (to the year before and after the deposition of king James II, and to the time of Elizabeth I) and in the last one (to the Roman England at the time of the Christian persecution by Diocletian). And especially in the last chapter, when a vision in the sun, at the top of the mound of a Briton chief, shows them the image of the Lamb of God.
I think this book was influenced by E.Nesbit's "House of Arden." I have just read Nesbit's book and my impression has been confirmed. Apart from the main idea, the two children who time-travel to different epochs in the history of England and identify with some of their ancestors, there are several similar plots, such as the use of a priest-hole to hide a person, and the children looking for (and in this case finding) something that was hidden in the hole in previous times.
In general I liked this book better than Nesbit's. For one, these children, when they travel to the past, do not know what is happening until someone explains and cannot predict what is going to happen. Nesbit's children know too much and prattle too much about the future for my pleasure.
ESPAÑOL: Este libro es una revisión hacia atrás de la historia de Inglaterra mediante saltos temporales de los personajes principales (cinco de ellos). No es una novela de ciencia-ficción, pues no existe una máquina del tiempo y los saltos temporales se hacen por la acción de la "magia".
Hay un hilo conductor a lo largo de la novela: la conversión al catolicismo de tres de los personajes principales. Esto se ve claramente en los saltos en el tiempo tercero a quinto (hasta el año anterior y posterior a la deposición del rey Jacobo II, y a la época de Isabel I) y en el último (hasta la Inglaterra romana en la época de la persecución cristiana de Diocleciano). Y sobre todo en el último capítulo, cuando una visión a la luz del sol, en lo alto del túmulo de un jefe britano, les muestra la imagen del Cordero de Dios.
Creo que este libro está influenciado por "La casa de Arden" de E. Nesbit. Acabo de leer el libro de Nesbit y mi impresión se ha confirmado. Aparte de la idea principal, los dos niños que viajan en el tiempo a diferentes épocas de la historia de Inglaterra y se identifican con algunos de sus antepasados, hay varias tramas similares, como el uso de un escondite para sacerdotes donde se oculta una persona, y los niños que buscan (y en este caso encuentran) algo que estaba escondido en dicho agujero desde tiempos anteriores.
En general, este libro me gustó más que el de Nesbit. Por un lado, estos niños, cuando viajan al pasado, no saben qué está pasando hasta que alguien se lo explica y no pueden predecir lo que va a pasar. Los niños de Nesbit saben demasiado y parlotean demasiado sobre el futuro, para mi gusto.
But there is a main thread along the novel: the conversion to Catholicism of three of the main characters. This is clearly seen in the third to fifth jumps in time (to the year before and after the deposition of king James II, and to the time of Elizabeth I) and in the last one (to the Roman England at the time of the Christian persecution by Diocletian). And especially in the last chapter, when a vision in the sun, at the top of the mound of a Briton chief, shows them the image of the Lamb of God.
I think this book was influenced by E.Nesbit's "House of Arden." I have just read Nesbit's book and my impression has been confirmed. Apart from the main idea, the two children who time-travel to different epochs in the history of England and identify with some of their ancestors, there are several similar plots, such as the use of a priest-hole to hide a person, and the children looking for (and in this case finding) something that was hidden in the hole in previous times.
In general I liked this book better than Nesbit's. For one, these children, when they travel to the past, do not know what is happening until someone explains and cannot predict what is going to happen. Nesbit's children know too much and prattle too much about the future for my pleasure.
ESPAÑOL: Este libro es una revisión hacia atrás de la historia de Inglaterra mediante saltos temporales de los personajes principales (cinco de ellos). No es una novela de ciencia-ficción, pues no existe una máquina del tiempo y los saltos temporales se hacen por la acción de la "magia".
Hay un hilo conductor a lo largo de la novela: la conversión al catolicismo de tres de los personajes principales. Esto se ve claramente en los saltos en el tiempo tercero a quinto (hasta el año anterior y posterior a la deposición del rey Jacobo II, y a la época de Isabel I) y en el último (hasta la Inglaterra romana en la época de la persecución cristiana de Diocleciano). Y sobre todo en el último capítulo, cuando una visión a la luz del sol, en lo alto del túmulo de un jefe britano, les muestra la imagen del Cordero de Dios.
Creo que este libro está influenciado por "La casa de Arden" de E. Nesbit. Acabo de leer el libro de Nesbit y mi impresión se ha confirmado. Aparte de la idea principal, los dos niños que viajan en el tiempo a diferentes épocas de la historia de Inglaterra y se identifican con algunos de sus antepasados, hay varias tramas similares, como el uso de un escondite para sacerdotes donde se oculta una persona, y los niños que buscan (y en este caso encuentran) algo que estaba escondido en dicho agujero desde tiempos anteriores.
En general, este libro me gustó más que el de Nesbit. Por un lado, estos niños, cuando viajan al pasado, no saben qué está pasando hasta que alguien se lo explica y no pueden predecir lo que va a pasar. Los niños de Nesbit saben demasiado y parlotean demasiado sobre el futuro, para mi gusto.
June 26, 2023
My childhood favorite, and still a treasure today
This book is rich with British and Roman Catholic history as two children travel back in time. It is the book that I reread many times has a child and will continue to re-read, getting something new every time.
This book is rich with British and Roman Catholic history as two children travel back in time. It is the book that I reread many times has a child and will continue to re-read, getting something new every time.
December 24, 2016
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
Just after World War II, Cecilia (called Cecil) is sent to stay with her uncle and cousin, Rick in an old historic house near Bristol. While there, the two children are left mostly in the care of Rick's tutor, Dominic, with whom they have many unexpected trips through time. On each journey to the past, the characters find themselves dressed in period clothes and accepted as distant relatives of the people they meet, all of whom are dealing in some way with an event in the history of the Catholic church in England. As they spend more and more time in the past, all three characters begin to realize the truth of the faith and, in the present day, begin to seek their conversions.
Catholics are so rarely treated fairly - or portrayed accurately - in fiction. To find a book like this one, which is written expressly for and about young Catholics is such a treat, and I enjoyed every moment of the story. The understanding that the truth of Catholicism can be found by studying history resonated with me very strongly, as did the many beautiful descriptions of the Mass and the Church that appear throughout the story. Particularly moving for me is this passage, describing Cecil's first time witnessing a congregation receiving Holy Communion:
Then a movement began among the people. They creaked to their feet, shuffled and fumbled up to the front, kneeling on the floor, and she saw little Thomas at the beginning of the row. The priest turned and made the sign of the cross and all signed themselves; then he came forward and moved along the line, placing the Hosts in the mouths of the people.
Cecil had a very strange feeling; she felt that this was at the same time the most natural and the most unnatural thing she had ever seen. They were like little birds being fed by their mother, and yet it was grown people who knelt to receive what looked like a paper penny of bread on their tongues. She knew at once why the Mass provoked such love and such hate. Either what they believe is true, or else it is a dreadful delusion, she thought.
These two paragraphs are so brief, and yet they speak volumes about the Church itself, and about the way the faith slowly becomes meaningful to Cecil, who has otherwise been raised as a Protestant. The writing throughout the book shares this same beauty of language and bluntness of message, which is precisely what I loved most about it.
For non-believers, this book is likely to seem strange, or maybe even boring. It's very much a book for Catholics, or for those considering a conversion, and happily, it does not try to hide its agenda or make the historical aspects more appealing to a general audience by downplaying the faith. It is a perfect book for Catholic high school students studying Church history, as it personalizes historical events and makes them accessible to contemporary readers. It would also make a wonderful gift for anyone going through RCIA, as it explains many of the Church's beliefs and affirms the decision to convert.
Along with Flannery O'Connor, Meriol Trevor is quickly becoming my favorite Catholic writer.
Just after World War II, Cecilia (called Cecil) is sent to stay with her uncle and cousin, Rick in an old historic house near Bristol. While there, the two children are left mostly in the care of Rick's tutor, Dominic, with whom they have many unexpected trips through time. On each journey to the past, the characters find themselves dressed in period clothes and accepted as distant relatives of the people they meet, all of whom are dealing in some way with an event in the history of the Catholic church in England. As they spend more and more time in the past, all three characters begin to realize the truth of the faith and, in the present day, begin to seek their conversions.
Catholics are so rarely treated fairly - or portrayed accurately - in fiction. To find a book like this one, which is written expressly for and about young Catholics is such a treat, and I enjoyed every moment of the story. The understanding that the truth of Catholicism can be found by studying history resonated with me very strongly, as did the many beautiful descriptions of the Mass and the Church that appear throughout the story. Particularly moving for me is this passage, describing Cecil's first time witnessing a congregation receiving Holy Communion:
Then a movement began among the people. They creaked to their feet, shuffled and fumbled up to the front, kneeling on the floor, and she saw little Thomas at the beginning of the row. The priest turned and made the sign of the cross and all signed themselves; then he came forward and moved along the line, placing the Hosts in the mouths of the people.
Cecil had a very strange feeling; she felt that this was at the same time the most natural and the most unnatural thing she had ever seen. They were like little birds being fed by their mother, and yet it was grown people who knelt to receive what looked like a paper penny of bread on their tongues. She knew at once why the Mass provoked such love and such hate. Either what they believe is true, or else it is a dreadful delusion, she thought.
These two paragraphs are so brief, and yet they speak volumes about the Church itself, and about the way the faith slowly becomes meaningful to Cecil, who has otherwise been raised as a Protestant. The writing throughout the book shares this same beauty of language and bluntness of message, which is precisely what I loved most about it.
For non-believers, this book is likely to seem strange, or maybe even boring. It's very much a book for Catholics, or for those considering a conversion, and happily, it does not try to hide its agenda or make the historical aspects more appealing to a general audience by downplaying the faith. It is a perfect book for Catholic high school students studying Church history, as it personalizes historical events and makes them accessible to contemporary readers. It would also make a wonderful gift for anyone going through RCIA, as it explains many of the Church's beliefs and affirms the decision to convert.
Along with Flannery O'Connor, Meriol Trevor is quickly becoming my favorite Catholic writer.
April 13, 2018
This is a kids’ book and started out like any other children’s adventure story. Cecilia and Richard are staying at the home of an elderly relative when they accidentally find they can time travel. Together, and every so often accompanied by Richard’s tutor Dominic or his friend Theresa, they go back in time on numerous occasions, each time going a little further back than the previous time.
However, whilst it starts off with them discovering historical things of interest, it quickly becomes a lesson in Catholicism. The children are gradually converted to the Catholic Church. Clearly, this book was intended as a way to school youngsters in the ways of the Holy See. As the book progressed, this became more in your face and preachy. Having initially quite enjoyed the book, this preachiness became wearing.
However, whilst it starts off with them discovering historical things of interest, it quickly becomes a lesson in Catholicism. The children are gradually converted to the Catholic Church. Clearly, this book was intended as a way to school youngsters in the ways of the Holy See. As the book progressed, this became more in your face and preachy. Having initially quite enjoyed the book, this preachiness became wearing.
October 24, 2016
This was a mostly satisfying spin through English history with some of the time periods getting more attention than others. Sometimes, I thought a separate book for each period would have been more satisfying. Overall, I would give 5 stars, but I felt that the character of Cecil was not well developed and there were far too many minor characters to keep track of.
April 29, 2014
MCL. The story follows cousins as they travel to different times in history. They see many pivotal moments for England and the Catholic church. The story is well told and fun to read. The kids become more Catholic as the book progresses.
February 11, 2020
One of my favorite books of all time!
However reading for the first time on Kindle I discovered that my paper copy was missing the last six pages! The full ending was much better, resolving the plot lines in a much more satisfying way.
However reading for the first time on Kindle I discovered that my paper copy was missing the last six pages! The full ending was much better, resolving the plot lines in a much more satisfying way.
May 9, 2009
This book was a total delight. It shares Catholic history in a children's book through the story of two children. I want more of these.
December 8, 2014
Maybe? It's been so long, I'm not sure what the rating would be now.
December 7, 2013
Beyond brill!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews