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A String in the Harp
by
Nancy Bond
In an ideal blend of absorbing fantasy and realistic fiction, A String in the Harp tells the story of 12-year-old Pete Morgan who, on a visit to Wales, finds a harp key that shows him scenes from the life of the ancient bard Taliesin. Set in both present-day and ancient Wales, this Newbery Honor title has become a contemporary classic.
Hardcover, 371 pages
Published
1976
by Margaret K. McElderry Books
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Mar 22, 2008
Greg Fishbone
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
book-review-theater,
read-in-2008
I read this 1977 Newbery Honor Book shortly after Enchantress from the Stars and found myself wondering why the Newbery Committees hate mothers so much. Surely anybody's who's looked into the "dead mother book" phenomenon can attest to the fact that the mothers of Newbery book protagonists have an amazingly short life expectancy and a high tendency to die even before the first chapter starts. Likewise the stars of most Disney animated films and every fairytale character with an evil stepmother....more
I picked this one up in my meanderings through past Newbery Award and Newbery Honor winners. I'm beginning to think that the main criteria for Newbery's is that they include children dealing with some difficult emotional trauma. This one has three children who have recently lost their mother in a car accident. It is very well-written. I was impressed with the writing to begin with and thought it had hope as a story. I feel that the story fell flat and the struggles of the children in the family...more
Ahh, I had SO much fun reading this book! It was like a long vacation in Susan Cooper's Wales.
So, I got this one at a garage sale because it was a Newberry Honor book. It's high Welsh fantasy in the vein of Susan Cooper's The Grey King and Silver on the Tree (two of my favorite favorites) and deals with a lot of the same mythology. I relished every word of the book like a long refreshing vacation in a favorite place.
The magical element in this book is much more understated than in a Susan Cooper...more
So, I got this one at a garage sale because it was a Newberry Honor book. It's high Welsh fantasy in the vein of Susan Cooper's The Grey King and Silver on the Tree (two of my favorite favorites) and deals with a lot of the same mythology. I relished every word of the book like a long refreshing vacation in a favorite place.
The magical element in this book is much more understated than in a Susan Cooper...more
Don't know how many stars to give this one. The first time I read it, I had never been to Wales, never studied Welsh, no exposure to any Welsh legends. And I loved it. It was fantastic. Then I read it after living in Wales to study Welsh for a summer, and I hated it. I think it may have been partially that I was terribly jealous of this family who got to live not far from Aberystwyth (which is my favourite place) and they didn't appreciate it. They all hated living there. But I also felt like Wa...more
Jun 09, 2009
Shanna Gonzalez
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
children-08-12
In this modern-to-medievel time-travel fantasy, a family of three children and their father go to live in Wales for the winter, grieving the loss of their wife and mother. Twelve-year-old Peter finds a key that opens a portal into ancient Wales, and he and his sisters must resist a rising threat when knowledge of the key spreads to those who wish to misuse it.
The book is recommended by several good sources and is well written, with good character development and a sustained sense of magic lurkin...more
The book is recommended by several good sources and is well written, with good character development and a sustained sense of magic lurkin...more
This book found in the juvenile section of my library is about a family of four who are struggling with the sudden death of their mother. The father decides to take a one-year job in Wales. The two youngest children Becky, 10 years old, and Peter, 12 years old, have to go with him. The book starts when 15 year old Jen arrives for a Christmas visit.
She finds her father spending most his time at work or locked in his study and Peter unhappy and only wishing to be home. Shortly before Jen arrived P...more
She finds her father spending most his time at work or locked in his study and Peter unhappy and only wishing to be home. Shortly before Jen arrived P...more
Is A String in the Harp... historical fiction? fantasy? family drama? I suppose that it could be labeled a work of all three of those genres, plus multicultural lit, mystery and possibly even suspense. For a debut author, Nancy Bond does well in morphing the varied story elements into a cohesive narrative that should keep one's attention, while at the same time providing an excellent introductory education on the subject of ancient and contemporary life in Wales.
After the death of their mothe...more
After the death of their mothe...more
Apr 02, 2009
Shannon
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
logan-later,
speculative-fiction
Although this book as a fantasy/time travel element, the real story is about how we make a new place home and how we adjust to change and loss. Three siblings and their father move from the US to Wales after the death of the mother. None of them are too happy about having left their friends and familiar surroundings behind, especially as Wales is cold, windy, and desolate. The son has a particularly hard time and there is some conflict between him and his father. The story chronicles a family co...more
I probably would have given this book 5 stars, but it took 100 pages for me to get into it. Only my own pre-existing interest in the bard Taliesin kept me reading for those first 100 pages.
That being said, the rest of the book was engaging and enjoyable. I loved learning about Wales, and I liked the way the family came together in the end. The stories about Taliesin were fun and believable, and the whole book made me want to go to Wales more. I also never realized just how small Wales is, but th...more
That being said, the rest of the book was engaging and enjoyable. I loved learning about Wales, and I liked the way the family came together in the end. The stories about Taliesin were fun and believable, and the whole book made me want to go to Wales more. I also never realized just how small Wales is, but th...more
This is a Newberry Honor book and I have to say that I was extremely disappointed (note the two star rating). I was given this book by the same person that gave me Walk Two Moons so perhaps I was hoping for the same type of writing. Nope. A String in the Harp has beautiful and amazing picturesque descriptions of a dreary place in Wales. The story is missing so many pieces. I wasn't carried through this book, I had to do that for the author. That is just too much work for me and not enjoyable to...more
Oh my, what to say about this book? I think perhaps the members of the Newbery committee were smoking crack the year they awarded this a notable "Honor." It's not that it was awful - from a middle aged woman's perspective at least. It's just that it's one of those dry, slow, and very, very dull stories that teachers assign to kids in school, ensuring that they grow up to hate reading and groan the next time they're forced to pick up a book.
That being said, I happened to almost enjoy the long ran...more
That being said, I happened to almost enjoy the long ran...more
I was re-reading this book as I read it before in my tweens. Still a wonderful book. The dad still comes across as a bit of a jerk. Even as a parent now I think he had more of an obligation to keep in better touch with his kids and to be a bit more sympathetic after their mother died. Also, the idea that a 15 yr is going to take over the running of a house is a bit far-fetched.
Still, enjoyable. It is the book that made me want to visit Wales and then England in general--which I did with my mom...more
Still, enjoyable. It is the book that made me want to visit Wales and then England in general--which I did with my mom...more
I was a bit reluctant to read this book after reading some of the comments I saw on this website. However, I found this book to be very enjoyable, and portrayed a realistic family that is healing from a tragic loss.
I enjoyed Peter's tale the most, since I found this character the most appealing. Even though he is not the main protagonist in this novel, Peter was the one character that began to grow into a likable, well rounded character. His pain in the start of the story and his acceptance of...more
I enjoyed Peter's tale the most, since I found this character the most appealing. Even though he is not the main protagonist in this novel, Peter was the one character that began to grow into a likable, well rounded character. His pain in the start of the story and his acceptance of...more
A String in the Harp by Nancy Bond is one of those novels I love so much it almost hurts. It concerns the Morgan family – Jen, Peter and Becky - who, after their mother is killed in car crash, move from Massachusetts to Wales. Still reeling from the blow, the family is falling apart. Peter, in particular, is homesick, bitter, overwhelmed with anger and misery. The portrait of his alienation and isolation is very well done.
Peter finds a mysterious artifact washed up on the beach, a harp key, and...more
Peter finds a mysterious artifact washed up on the beach, a harp key, and...more
This 15 year old girl named Jen's mom dies and her dad moves to Wales with her brother and sister. She stays in Amherst with her aunt, ahe eventually goes to visit her family and her brother has found a harp key that sings to him. When it sings to him, it creates pictures and it looks like he's blanking but he's really seeing a story in his mind. Jen ends up staying in Wales and the worls of the harp key and the real world start to blend together. That's all I'm up to. It's so good!
This is one of my favorite books. I read it every Christmas, and I've kept that tradition for about 10 years. I love the atmosphere of this book--the moody Welsh countryside feels so real. The characters are realistic and funny, and Nancy Bond writes in such a way that I feel the emotions of the characters. Love this book!
I wish I could remember this book better. But I read it so long ago all I remember is that it involved Wales, Welsh mythology, and that I liked it. Also, I read an older version.
Taliesin is not an uncommon character to appear in a book, I remember a Charles de Lint book with this old bard in it too. Interesting.
Taliesin is not an uncommon character to appear in a book, I remember a Charles de Lint book with this old bard in it too. Interesting.
I remember starting to read this in my 7th grade English class, but don't remember ever finishing it, until now! Really good. The fantasy elements are so understated compared to what's out there now (like Harry Potter, for example), but I love the character development of the three children.
It took me a while to read this one. It's not fast-paced, and all the Welsh history, geography, mythology was new to me, so I took my time reading it (and had to go back from time to time to remember details). I felt like I learned a lot and enjoyed the twist at the end.
When I want to win a Newberry medal (I'd settle for an Honor), I will write about Welsh mythology. Seriously, those voters LOVE Welsh myths. My problem with this one is that it suffered in comparison to Lloyd Alexander and Susan Cooper (and even Tolkian).
I loved this book and found myself bitterly regretting not having read it when I was 12. It is the perfect book for the 12-year-old me, but it was also pretty great for the 44-year-old me. Bond weaves her version of Taliesin the Bard's story with the story of 3 modern kids trying to come to grips with their mother's death and their move to Wales from the US. One of the kids finds the key to Taliesin's harp and is granted the ability to see the story of the bard's life. Juxtaposed with these othe...more
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I loved the description of Welsh culture and countryside, both past and present. However, I felt that the characters were a bit unrealistic. Their reactions were either understated or over-the-top. But overall, I enjoyed it.
I read this a very long time ago, but I remember it being unbearably slow in the beginning and the suspense that did come up wasn't even that suspenseful. It was hard to force myself to keep reading this book and actually finish it.
Just reread this book and enjoyed it thoroughly! I found the family story and the relationship of Peter and his two siblings Jen and Becky just as interesting as the magic in the Taliesen part of the story.
Mar 21, 2012
Catherine
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
adolescent-books,
newberry
This book is a little slow moving, but the story is a good one. I enjoyed the character development and the descriptions of the scenery. I also liked the magic in the story.
This book has such a fabulous sense of place, you could totally find your way around Borth, Wales, after reading it. In fact, you probably *will* want to find your way around it!
I wish that the mythological elements had been a little more pervasive, but I thoroughly enjoyed the Welsh setting! Definitely gave me a feel for Wales.
This was one of my favorite books from childhood and I re-read it often. Time travel was always one of my favorite themes as a child.
Now just wasn't the right time for me to read this. I bought it when I was twelve and thought I would enjoy it eleven years later. I didn't. Guess my tastes haven't really changed.
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Children's writer Nancy (Barbara) Bond was born in Maryland and was raised in the United Kingdom and Massachusetts. She received her B.A. in English Literature from Mount Holyoke College in 1966 and a graduate degree from the College of Librarianship in Wales in 1972. She taught at the Simmons College Center for the Study of Children's Literature from 1979 to 2001.
In 1977 Bond received the Newbery...more
More about Nancy Bond...
In 1977 Bond received the Newbery...more
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Nov 15, 2008 08:22pm