Adam of the Road

by Elizabeth Janet Gray, Elizabeth Gray Vining, Robert Lawson (Illustrator)

Awarded the John Newbery Medal as "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children" in the year of its publication. "A road's a kind of holy thing," said Roger the Minstrel to his son, Adam. "That's why it's a good work to keep a road in repair, like giving alms to the poor or tending the sick. It's open to the sun and wind and rain. It brings all kinds of people and all parts of England together. And it's home to a minstrel, even though he may happen to be sleeping in a castle." And Adam, though only eleven, was to remember his father's words when his beloved dog, Nick, was stolen and Roger had disappeared and he found himself traveling alone along these same great roads, searching the fairs and market towns for his father and his dog. Here is a story of thirteenth-century England, so absorbing and lively that for all its authenticity it scarcely seems "historical." Although crammed with odd facts and lore about that time when "longen folke to goon on pilgrimages," its scraps of song and hymn and jongleur's tale of the period seem as newminted and fresh as the day they were devised, and Adam is a real boy inside his gay striped surcoat.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Childrens, Young Adult, Classics, Historical, Medieval

317 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1942

About the author

Elizabeth Janet Gray Vining was an American professional librarian and author who tutored Emperor Akihito of Japan in English while he was crown prince. She was also a noted author, whose children's book "Adam of the Road" won the Newbery Medal in 1943.

Reviews

[Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up Adam of the Road at a library sale several months ago for a dollar. As a Newbery Award winner in 1943, it was one of those books that I remember seeing frequently during my childhood but had never read. And it fits into one of the squares in my 2016 Classics Bingo card, so here we are!



Adam of the Road is the story of a couple of years in the life of a young boy who is a minstrel in training in England in the late 1200s. Adam’s father Roger is a quite successful minstrel who has left his eleven year old son at a monk’s school for several months, while he went to a minstrel’s school in France to learn more romantic songs and tales to tell the lords and ladies. Adam pines to leave the school and learn to be a minstrel like his father, so he’s overjoyed when Roger picks him up and takes him ― and Adam’s dog Nick, a beautiful red spaniel that Adam loves with all his heart ― on Roger’s journey with Sir Edmund, who employs him.

It’s an enjoyable life for a young boy, and Roger is a loving though slightly flawed father: he loses his money and a valuable war horse (which was a gift from Sir Edmund) in gaming with another minstrel, Jankin.

Jankin manages to ride the horse lame and, when he meets up with Roger and Adam on the road, decides to surreptitiously “trade” the horse for Adam’s dog Nick. Frantically attempting to chase down the dognapper, Adam gets separated from his father, and in trying to find each other, they only get farther apart. (It made me appreciate cell phones!)

The rest of the book relates Adam’s adventures on the road, trying to find both his father and his dog, and to make a living as a minstrel when he can. It’s a rather episodic tale, as Adam wanders from place to place, meeting new friends and enemies, dealing with robbers and thieves, but also being helped repeatedly by kindhearted people, and learning a few things along the way (like not being a braggart).

The tale is told simply, on a middle-grade level, but the author did her research and various details of life in 1290’s England fill the story. It’s a little superficial, and we don't get to know any of the characters well except for Adam and his father. But it's a good reminder of how different life in general, and expectations about entertainment in particular, were at that time. The story is infused with a 1940s kind of sweetness and optimism that is typical of children’s lit of that time. Those who like nostalgic children’s literature may really enjoy it. I was a little bored, and I tend to think most kids would be as well, but if you have one who needs to read a book about life in medieval England for whatever reason, you could do worse than Adam of the Road.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so surprised by this book. I wasn't anticipating that I would like it so much! Adam is such a sweet, likable boy; you can't help rooting for him throughout the whole book as he tries to find his father. And the adventures he goes through along the way will keep you wondering how it will end.

Cleanliness:

Children's Bad Words
Name Calling - 3 Incidents: cocky, ninny, milk-sops
Religious Profanity - 7 Incidents: my faith, by Saint Simon, by Saint Hugh

Violence - None

Romance Related - 6 Incidents: "She looked, Adam thought, too beautiful and high-born for words, standing there in her scarlet gown ... Adam's heart softened and spread like butter in the sun." "Now that was the kind of girl he liked." A man likes a woman and says, "She has the sunset in her hair and blue veins at her wrist, ... in a dreamy voice." A man writes long poems to a lady which he keeps under his bed. A boy is scared a women might strip him of his wet clothes right there in the crowded kitchen (she doesn't). The word "breast" is used - not sexually

Attitudes/Disobedience - 4 Incidents: "Adam soon got Perkin into trouble, ...Perkin hadn't minded. He was rather pleased, after having been so very good and serious for so long." It is discovered that a boy stole the food everyone is eating and the townspeople are after them. There is a girl that is mean to Adam. He doesn't think she is a "sheep of God" and occupies his time "thinking up humiliating accidents for her to fall into, which he would seem turning aside to hide his smile."
A boy boasts that he can do better and is reprimanded for his attitude.

Religious & Supernatural - 19 Incidents: "Pilgrims had come from all over England to worship at the golden shrine where the saint's bones were kept." A story is told about when the Romans came, the people went under ground and became fairies. Mentions lays (ballads) of adventure and magic.
A ballad tells how a lady "was taken away by the fairy people." The above story continues, mentioning the fairy king. The above story continues, mentioning the fairy king. Mentions a pardoner, who was someone that sold pardons from Rome for forgiveness for sin. Pilgrims "visit the shrine of St. Swithin." Mentions a shrine. "He knew the man was a palmer because he had medals all over his coat and cap showing the shrines to which he had made pilgrimages..." Adam watches a play about the fall of Adam and Eve. Not entirely biblical and includes demons and Hell.
Mentions the demons again from the play. Mentions holy water. A boy mentions wanting to be in the play and play the demon's part. A man says that "such a voice is a gift of God and should be used in God's service. The boy then asks, "Isn't it God's service to make people merry?" The reply is "no." "Eyes gleaming red in the dark like the king of Hell himself." Superstition: a woman ties a red worsted around a cow's tail to keep her from witches. "An herbalist crying his herbs and promising miraculous cures." "He's a very learned friar. Some say he's a magician."

Conversation Topics - 11 Incidents: A dog "went to great lengths to please his young god and master." Mentions, dancing, games of chess and dice. "After dinner spiced wine was brought." People played dice, including Adam's father. Adam's father lost money playing dice and says he can't be trusted with money. Mentions ale (and throughout the book). A man suggests placing a bet for a dog. "Any time you want another game of dice, I'm your man," says the bad guy in the story.
Mentions wine (and a few times throughout the book). Mentions people who make exaggerated tales, "mostly making rude jokes about friars and monks and rich abbots." But Adam knows this cannot be true of them all. A boy attacks the man that stole his dog, bouncing on his stomach.

Parent Takeaway
The narration reinforces good behavior and character. Even when it is not convenient for him, the boy does the right thing. The father and son have a good relationship.

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[Manybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always (or at least since learning how to read) enjoyed novels (whether they have been conceptualised for younger readers or whether they are geared towards more mature audiences) that have Mediaeval settings (and in particular so Mediaeval Europe, both the so called continent and the British Isles). But yes, in order for Mediaeval-themed and based historical fiction novels to adequately work for me, in order for them to be true personal reading pleasures, both a given author's featured writing style and his/her presented and shown factual content and themes have to read realistically, have to feel that I as a reader am actually firmly able to suspend my belief of reading a story penned not in the Middle Ages, that I can in fact and whilst reading easily enough pretend to see myself located in say the 13th or 14th century and not just sitting in the 21st century and looking into a distant and often blurry mirror (in other words, both writing style and thematics need to be reality based and not problematically anachronistic in scope).

And yes, Elizabeth Janet Gray's (or Elizabeth Gray Vining after her marriage) 1942 children's adventure novel Adam of the Road (which also won the 1943 Newbery Medal) totally and absolutely does fit all of the above for me, with its late 13th century (1294 A.D.) setting, with both main and secondary characters (and of course and in particular young minstrel in training Adam Quartermayne) but really with EVERYTHING in the author's presented text being delightfully and wonderfully of the featured and correct historical time and place and also not ever therefore feeling either out of temporal synch or that Adam of the Road is somehow supposed to be mainly a narrative tool for delivering mid 20th century (1940s) messages and philosophies superimposed onto the distant past, and which most certainly would have very much lessened the sense of historic reality that is such an important and wonderful part of Adam of the Road.

Furthermore, I also do very much do appreciate and enjoy that whilst following Adam's path of search and discovery (with Adam trying to locate the whereabouts of both his father Roger and his stolen dog Nick), readers are not only taken by Elizabeth Janet Gray on a grand adventure like tour of parts of Mediaeval England but are also offered a plethora of educational details and information about and on the same and the many different types of people one could find and meet up with in the England of the Middle Ages (from priests to peasants, from merchants to thieves) and all in a style of literary penmanship that in my opinion totally says "Middle Ages" and how people would generally have tended to talk and converse at that particular time, that Adam of the Road thus never demonstrates narration which does not fit in with the historical period of Mediaeval England, that Adam, Roger etc. all (in my opinion) converse like typical Mediaeval times individuals would have or are generally thought to have talked. Five stars for Adam of the Road and highly recommended (although I do think that publishers should perhaps consider a bit of a glossary for some of the time and place specific vocabulary and in particular with regard to church rhetoric, music and clothing choices).

[The Dusty Jacket · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three things gave Adam Quartermayne comfort: his harp, his friend Perkin, and his dog Nick. But for five months now, all Adam truly cared about was his father finally coming to take him out of school. “Today he’s coming. I know it!”, Adam would find himself saying over and over again. But his father was Roger the Minstrel, and the open road was his home. Roger will come for him and when he did, together with their harp and viol, they would travel the countryside—entertaining people with their songs and stories. But life is unpredictable and just when Nick had settled into the life he had always dreamed of fate comes along and changes everything.

Elizabeth Janet Gray takes young readers to late thirteenth-century England—a time of Welsh revolt and a period when England’s population boomed and towns and trade expanded. Best of all, it was a time for minstrels and what an important commodity they were. As Gray writes, “When a book cost more than a horse and few could read, minstrels’ tales were almost the only entertainment. Minstrels brought news, too; they told what was going on in the next town, and what was happening in London, and where the king was.” Gray transports her readers to a time filled with wine (the hot spiced wine is particularly pleasant), women (Jill Ferryman was especially goodhearted and kind), and song. Lots and lots of song! She gives us an adventure for the ages filled with robbers, thieves, narrow escapes, dastardly deeds, and daring-dos.

At the heart of this book is eleven-year old Adam, whose solid moral center, resilience, loyalty, bravery, and kindness make him the ideal protagonist. He understands that stealing food—regardless of the degree of hunger—is wrong and that showing genuine appreciation for an otherwise undesirable gift is an admirable trait. More importantly, he shows us the value of faith and family. Time and time again, the reader is reminded that a minstrel’s home is the open road. As Roger once said to Adam, “A road’s a kind of holy thing. It brings all kinds of people and all parts of England together. And it’s home to a minstrel, even though he may happen to be sleeping in a castle.” But I think in the end, Adam may have been more in agreement with the Roman philosopher Gaius Plinius Secundus, better known as Pliny the Elder (or just Pliny if you were a close chum). For it was Pliny who gave us the beloved saying, “Home is where the heart is” and Adam’s heart was firmly placed within a master minstrel and a red spaniel with long silky ears. Perhaps Pliny would have made for a rather good minstrel?

[Margret Melissa (ladybug) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. Yes, it started out slow and I didn't understand why Adam called his father Roger; but otherwise a very nice book. Adam does some growing up and learns about the world. The author really did her research on the details. I feel that I have really learned somethings about England in the 1200s - 1300s and I wasn't even trying.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.

In 1294, Adam is the son of a traveling minstrel. He is thrilled when he is able to leave school and begin traveling the road with his father, Roger, and dog, Nick. He loves watching Roger entertain the family for whom he works, and Adam enjoys sharpening his own minstrelsy skills along the way. When an opportunistic rival minstrel steals his dog, though, Adam becomes upset, and in the process of looking for the dog, he loses track of his father. Left completely on his own for the first time in his life, Adam must use his talents as a minstrel as well as his wits to survive and figure out how to find Roger once more.

Despite its age, this book is extremely readable and relatable. Adam and Roger are both instantly lovable characters with memorable personalities. It is easy to empathize with Adam's frustrations at losing his father and it is fascinating to see how he gets by on his own. Adam's travels on the road show the reader many informative glimpses into how different types of people lived during this time - a ferryman, a priest, thieves, etc. - and the story becomes much more than just a boy's search for his lost pet. The ending is also very well done, and things wrap up nicely, but believably.

Compared with Catherine, Called Birdy, Adam of the Road is a much more true-to-life example of medieval historical fiction. The author doesn't try to impose any particular agenda onto the story in order to engage or pander to contemporary readers. Rather, she just tells a compelling story and allows historical truths to speak for themselves. This book is also notable among many of the others historical fiction novels I have read because the subject matter is so mundane. Adam is not escaping an unwanted marriage, saving a potter's career, rescuing a man about to be maimed by a tiger, running from Pompeii as it collapses around him, or saving his mother from poverty. He's just looking for his dog, and his dad. And because the author is such a great storyteller, that is enough.

[Evan Hays · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic that I also read back in 3rd grade. All I really remembered was the excellent feel of the book, which makes sense now because that is the main takeaway. The plot is take it or leave it, and there are several characters who you would have liked the author to develop more, thus why it gets 4 stars. But for its portrayal of Medieval England it gets a high rank. For example, she works in details such as there was only one coin minted in England at the time, how it was fashionable to swear by one's saint at that time, to portray the mixture of dialects and languages present in England at the time, etc. Now, I am no Medievalist, but it seems to be that Gray does an admirable job, especially given that she was a librarian for her day job I believe. I really love entering the world of this book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone else.

Because this one ends just before 1300, I think it is a good jumping off point to read Chaucer again (in translation, I am not that crazy).

[Helena Sorensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pleasure to read aloud. This is the kind of excellent writing that engages children (including my first-grader) without any gimmicks or shortcuts. Highly recommend.

[Els · Rating 4 out of 5]

NO NOT THE BOY'S DOG DISAPPEARING TROPE AGAIN, I CAN'T HANDLE THIS.

the dog does not die, however, and everyone's back together at the end. :):):)

[Amy Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you would like a good example of how the Newbery Medal/Award has depreciated in value, just compare/contrast this good old-fashioned book in any and every category you want with the two more recent Newbery-winning offerings by Karen Cushman about the Middle Ages (Midwife's Apprentice and Catherine Called Birdy--both terrible, I suggest you purge them from your home library, so therefore you'll have to do this comparison through your neighborhood library). This book is just as informative about the Middle Ages, if not more so, because it's not so gross and modern, so it feels more trustworthy. This book does have a very slow start, however. If you can get your boys past the very slow start, Adam is a good role model; and it's a well-written story.

[Sonu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ordered my copy i want this book on my shelf for sure. Picked up this book from library while browsing kids section.

[Mikki Moeller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple and wholesome.

[Pamela Shropshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a difficult time choosing a star rating for this one. I remember reading it as a child, so I have a sentimental attachment to it and wanted to give it 5 stars. However, reading it as an adult and judging it on its merits from this perspective, I would probably give it 3 stars. So in the end, I decided to split the difference.

Adam Quartermayne is a tween in 13th century England whose father, Roger, is a minstrel. While Roger is in France at a minstrel’s school, Adam is at St. Alban’s Abbey where he attends school. Adam’s favorite companions are Nick, his red spaniel, and his fellow student, Perkin. When Roger returns from France, he is riding a fine horse named Bayard. Roger has been hired by a wealthy baron, Sir Edmund de Lisle. Adam leaves the school to go on the road with his father.

Roger loses Bayard gambling with another minstrel named Jankin; Jankin also steals Nick while Adam is asleep. Adam and Roger head out to pursue Jankin and get Nick back; however, Adam gets separated from Roger. This forms the main plot: Adam searches the south-central part of England, looking for his father and for Nick, and has many adventures. This is rather simplistic for my adult self but I enjoyed it immensely as a child.

Ms. Gray carefully researched the details of every day medieval life and this is the real strength of this book, IMO, along with the descriptions of the English countryside. As usual, I looked up in Google Maps many of the places mentioned. And of course I experienced a special thrill when a place I have visited was mentioned!

All in all, I probably would recommend this book to an adult, but I certainly would recommend it to kids 12 or under who are interested in history.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this because Katie's on a Newbery kick. Although here it says first published in 1973, it was actually from 1942, and it reads as such, but it's a nice little medieval story anyway. I found interesting the way Gray describes friendships between males - for instance, there's an innocence in the way Adam just earnestly loves his friend Perkin, with the two boys always walking arm in arm, sharing beds and doing anything for each other, that wouldn't as likely be written in that way in the culture of today.

[Falina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed by Adam of the Road. Did I miss some significance here, some references that make this more than it is? I found it a fairly standard coming-of-age story which just happens to be set in the thirteenth century -- perhaps another "it's a different culture/time period and therefore it's amazing" decision by the Newbery Committee. Then again, it's hard to know why I'm drawn to some coming-of-age stories and not others -- perhaps it has a lot to do with my own childhood, and not necessarily the quality of the work itself.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun coming of age story placed Medieval England. It gives a good picture of what life was like then- and not just for Adam, but for all the other people you meet along the way. At times the story and conflict seemed a bit slow. And then the conclusion came all of a sudden and resolved very quickly, which I didn't love. But it was a fun educational read. And it made you proud of Adam, just like his father. Using for MS medieval history/lit class.

[Emily Musgrove · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this because my daughter will be reading it for school and I wanted to see what it was about. Cute story with some twists and cliffhangers - I love that the boy (Adam) has good character and does what’s right. It’s an interesting peek into medieval life. I think my daughter will like it - it’s a sweet and heart-warming story.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty interesting story, but you can almost see the wheels turning in the author's head: "A minstrel boy will be the perfect vehicle to teach children about the Middle Ages!"

[Jon Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read it at first, I was like: "The dogs gone. Time to move on soldier." And then I got a lil pupper of my own...and then I was like: "If I were him, I'd probably just ball my eyes out like a little goo goo ga ga baby," and if Jankin did come back...my fists would have a thing or two to tell a few parts of his body (not gonna go into detail about my revenge) and I also like the ideas of Minstrels. But I think I like Bards better.

[Emersyn Dwyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the best book ever I loved it! I hope other readers will read it. It is a book about a boy named Adam and he is a minstrel. He loves his dog Nick and his father Roger till he loses both of them and his beloved harp. Till he finds his dog and his best friend Perkin. His father find him in Oxford. It is soooooooooo good!

[Els · Rating 5 out of 5]

(that moment when you realized you rated the entirely wrong edition)

[Janet Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable Newberry medal winner. Good story, likable characters, and great details about life in 13th century England.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Newbery medal winner! Great historical adventure.

[Sam Raven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. And I had the best reader ever for it, my sister!! :)

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

My nine year old has been slowly reading this for school and I’ve been pre-reading it for awhile. I figured I might as well put it on here even though it’s a school book since I’ve been reading it on my own.

We’re studying the Middle Ages in history and this book went along really well with that. I liked seeing the different people and places in this time period and seeing what the lives of everyday people were like. I liked Adam and how cheerful and positive he was even when things weren’t looking up. The story has a really satisfying resolution. Great for studying the Middle Ages.

[DaNae · Rating 3 out of 5]

An engaging tale of a boy training to be a minstrel in thirteenth century England. Adam and his dog Nick, and his father, Roger, an established minstrel, set out to sing for their supper, When Nick is stolen and Adam and Roger get separated danger and adventure become plentiful. Heavy with details of the time, and well developed characters. There is quite a bit of staunch uprightness found children’s book character writing in the first half of the 20th century, but I enjoyed it very much.

I believe I’m now under 10 Newberys to go.

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay. Did this Newbery take me a million years to read? YES. Was it worth it? NO.

This book is beyond forgettable, in all honesty it gives me flashbacks to my terrible time with Smokey though a bit more bearable.

This book is not what I was under the impression it would be, and while not terrible, was much MUCH longer than it needed to be.

[Debnance · Rating 5 out of 5]

“A road’s a kind of holy thing,” said Roger the Minstrel to his son, Adam. “That’s why it’s a good work to keep a road in repair, like giving alms to the poor or tending the sick. It’s open to the sun and wind and rain. It brings all kinds of people and all parts of England together. And it’s home to a minstrel, even though he may happen to be sleeping in a castle.”

Adam is a young boy of eleven, spending his time in school while awaiting the return of his father, a minstrel of some repute, and the resumption of his life with his father on the road. Adam’s father does return and together father and son head out on the road but, like all road trips, this adventure has many unexpected twists and turns, including the kidnapping of Adam’s beloved dog and Adam’s separation from his father. The fun of being on this road with Adam is seeing the people and places of another time, parsons and knights and other minstrels and other travelers.

As a librarian, I began to see myself like Roger and Adam, as a kind of minstrel, singing songs, reciting poetry, relating stories. Ah, a new epithet: “Minstrel of the Library.”

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A road's a kind of holy thing," said Roger the Minstrel to his son, Adam. "That's why it's a good work to keep a road in repair, like giving alms to the poor or tending the sick. It's open to the sun and wind and rain. It brings all kinds of people and all parts of England together. And it's home to a minstrel, even though he may happen to be sleeping in a castle."

Adam is a young boy of eleven, spending his time in school while awaiting the return of his father, a minstrel of some repute, and the resumption of his life with his father on the road. Adam's father does return and together father and son head out on the road but, like all road trips, this adventure has many unexpected twists and turns, including the kidnapping of Adam's beloved dog and Adam's separation from his father. The fun of being on this road with Adam is seeing the people and places of another time, parsons and knights and other minstrels and other travelers.

As a librarian, I began to see myself like Roger and Adam, as a kind of minstrel, singing songs, reciting poetry, relating stories. Ah, a new epithet: "Minstrel of the Library."

[Kaia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of a dog and his boy...set in medieval England. This is a charming little book, if slow moving. Adam is the son of Roger the Minstrel. While accompanying his father around England, his dog Nick is stolen. He sets off in search of his dog, is separated from his father, and has an episodic series of adventures.

In the Newbery Project, there have been some really horrible books recently (I'm looking at you Daniel Boone and The Matchlock Gun). It's the second Newbery book that I've read so far (in order of publication) that I've enjoyed.