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QUEST FOR A KELPIE Large Print
Historical intrigue for children 9-12, printed in large print. set in a Scottish fishing village in the days of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Jeannie Main will make a king, and break a king, come four times into the shadow of the gibbet, and risk her life by riding the Kelpie, the fearsome water monster. That's what wee Jeannie is told during the 1745 Rising, as Prince Charles Edward Stewart makes his desperate attempt to win back his grandfather's crown from the Hanoverian King George. Ach, blethers! But Jeannie's prophecy comes terrifyingly true. She must make bitter choices, where either way could bring death or ruin for herself or those around her, and then face the consequences of those decisions. This is not a comfortable, cosy story. 12-year-old Jeannie is no sweet little angel, but a tough, hardy little fisher quean. But she faces life with a lively humour, honesty, courage, and immense loyalty to her family and friends, which make her instantly likeable.
248 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
About the author
Frances Mary Hendry
27 books29 followersFrances Mary Hendry is a British writer of children's historical fiction. Born and educated in Glasgow, Scotland she now resides in Nairn, where many of her books are set.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 16, 2012
Jeannie Main is the feisty twelve year old daughter in a family of Scottish fisher folk, out of a coastal town by the name Nairn. It is 1745 and Bonnie Prince Charles has decided to seek his father’s patrimony, with the aim of taking the crown from King George of England. The Highlanders are in revolt, Nairn is occupied by first one combatant force, then the other.
High adventure, danger, daring-do all take place within this very real historical context. Add to this the second sight of the gypsies, the magic of the Kelpie, prophesy . . . and the reader is taken on a wild ride. Jeannie Main is up to the task of finding and riding the Kelpie—she’s a delightful character, full of spunk and resourcefulness. Besides the historical events, the kind of work expected of children in 18th century Scotland is part of the story. And there is the exploration of the power of belief . . . all in all, a wonderful book for readers of young adult fiction, whatever the reader’s age.
It is obvious to any reader of history who happens to enjoy a bit of magic that author Frances Hendry not only loves her homeland, but also loves to tell its history as well as its legends and mythic creatures. She is engaging, and should entice any young reader with the historical detail, fast pace, and . . . magic. I like the way she used Scottish slang throughout the tale, with a fine glossary placed at the front of the book.
As Hendry writes in her postscript: “I have tried to be true to the spirit of the times, without going too deeply into the horrors, filth and casual brutality which we may nowadays find hard to imagine. I hope you like reading about Jeannie Main as much as I did writing about her.” Indeed, I did—my enjoyment equaled five stars!
High adventure, danger, daring-do all take place within this very real historical context. Add to this the second sight of the gypsies, the magic of the Kelpie, prophesy . . . and the reader is taken on a wild ride. Jeannie Main is up to the task of finding and riding the Kelpie—she’s a delightful character, full of spunk and resourcefulness. Besides the historical events, the kind of work expected of children in 18th century Scotland is part of the story. And there is the exploration of the power of belief . . . all in all, a wonderful book for readers of young adult fiction, whatever the reader’s age.
It is obvious to any reader of history who happens to enjoy a bit of magic that author Frances Hendry not only loves her homeland, but also loves to tell its history as well as its legends and mythic creatures. She is engaging, and should entice any young reader with the historical detail, fast pace, and . . . magic. I like the way she used Scottish slang throughout the tale, with a fine glossary placed at the front of the book.
As Hendry writes in her postscript: “I have tried to be true to the spirit of the times, without going too deeply into the horrors, filth and casual brutality which we may nowadays find hard to imagine. I hope you like reading about Jeannie Main as much as I did writing about her.” Indeed, I did—my enjoyment equaled five stars!
December 5, 2009
I get selkies and kelpies confused, but this was a marvellous book.
May 10, 2019
The best book. Great charters and believable adventure and mysterious happenings. A must read!
February 5, 2014
Ahh! To be a wee red-haired Scottish Lass in the mid-1700's who works like a drudge and knits while she walks, but still has time for adventures. She has a bit of a tongue, our Jeannie does, when provoked and she'll tell the honest truth and do the hard thing. And all this at the time of- and near- the Battle of Culloden. The ultimate escape for me. And also (though I have no right to) when I read conversations in the dialect, I feel I've gone home.
May 12, 2009
Likable characters, and interesting. Jeannie is told by the gypsy woman that she will make/break a king, and helps her again 4 other times. Using the Scottish dialect made reading difficult at times.
July 5, 2009
Without a doubt, and with all sorts of sentimentality attached to it, this is my 100% favourite book of all time. Don't think any will come close to this :)
October 12, 2021
I haven't enjoyed a book this much in a while! I really loved Quest for a Maid when I was younger, and was excited to find more Hendry.
This is the sort of children's fiction I love. Excellent atmospheric historical fiction, with quality writing, fun and humor, but also never shies away from showing some really dark elements of life. There are a lot of things I think most children's books nowadays would avoid (e.g. period-accurate attitudes/slurs, violence/blood, foul language, etc.) but I never felt that the book was necessarily condoning these things, just showing things like they were. I appreciate this sort of storytelling - restricting children's literature to being happy clappy rainbow stories where everyone has modern sensibilities (not that I'm against stories like this existing) gives children a very narrow worldview.
The characters are all very vivid and human, and the people you're supposed to like are likable. Even the villains, while they could be just bad people (like Duggie), are shades of real people rather than caricatures. Duggie and Minister Rose were great examples of characters that were despicable, without any justification or redemption, but never felt like they were just straw men. For example, Duggie is just an angry person, who takes out his resentment on people weaker than him, and you get the sense that he just can't admit that any of his problems are his own fault. Even if he's never particularly sympathetic as a character, he evoked other resentful people I've (and I would imagine most of us have) known.
Overall, I really appreciate Hendry as an author and really loved this book.
This is the sort of children's fiction I love. Excellent atmospheric historical fiction, with quality writing, fun and humor, but also never shies away from showing some really dark elements of life. There are a lot of things I think most children's books nowadays would avoid (e.g. period-accurate attitudes/slurs, violence/blood, foul language, etc.) but I never felt that the book was necessarily condoning these things, just showing things like they were. I appreciate this sort of storytelling - restricting children's literature to being happy clappy rainbow stories where everyone has modern sensibilities (not that I'm against stories like this existing) gives children a very narrow worldview.
The characters are all very vivid and human, and the people you're supposed to like are likable. Even the villains, while they could be just bad people (like Duggie), are shades of real people rather than caricatures. Duggie and Minister Rose were great examples of characters that were despicable, without any justification or redemption, but never felt like they were just straw men. For example, Duggie is just an angry person, who takes out his resentment on people weaker than him, and you get the sense that he just can't admit that any of his problems are his own fault. Even if he's never particularly sympathetic as a character, he evoked other resentful people I've (and I would imagine most of us have) known.
Overall, I really appreciate Hendry as an author and really loved this book.
July 3, 2019
I enjoyed Quest for a Maid so much, I had to give Hendry's first novel, Quest for a Kelpie, a chance. Set during the Scottish rebellion in 1745, our main character is a hard-working, brave 12-year-old girl. She tells the truth in tough situations, speaks up more than she ought, and did a good turn for a band of gypsies who have since repaid her with a prophecy and various favors over the years. Will the prophecy come true? Will Jeannie ride a Kelpie and change the course of the rebellion?
Such a fun, well-researched, well-written book. Quite short. I had to use the glossary a lot in the beginning because of all the Scottish dialect. Some sentences looked like another language altogether!
Such a fun, well-researched, well-written book. Quite short. I had to use the glossary a lot in the beginning because of all the Scottish dialect. Some sentences looked like another language altogether!
December 17, 2025
kelpiee!!!! man if i had a black horse
enjoyed. convoluted in parts due to parsing the dialect but that's a me problem. I mean yeah Romani are ... massively stereotyped to say the least... so. Patrick Clark is the goat in this one. and Alastair :) but wowch that's a side of history I also Do Not Know At All. seems I am quite good at discovering kids' scottish historical fiction. Jeannie is a wonderful one. it's rough out here mannn I was viscerally angry several times.
enjoyed. convoluted in parts due to parsing the dialect but that's a me problem. I mean yeah Romani are ... massively stereotyped to say the least... so. Patrick Clark is the goat in this one. and Alastair :) but wowch that's a side of history I also Do Not Know At All. seems I am quite good at discovering kids' scottish historical fiction. Jeannie is a wonderful one. it's rough out here mannn I was viscerally angry several times.
May 27, 2017
A letter from a great-great-grandmother telling the history of how she rode the kelpie and changed the fates of Scotland. Hard book to put down, well written and believable story.
May 31, 2017
Loved the Scottish lilt coming through. Choices and consequences of. History (Bonnie Prince Charles). Friendship and integrity.
June 11, 2026
Not quite as great as Quest for a Maid, but definitely a fun, exciting read. This must be my third or fourth reading. Never disappoints.
March 4, 2012
Wonderful historical novel of mid 1700's Scotland, when a Scottish prince starts a rebellion. Some Scottish people follow him, some don't. The young heroine of the story does a good turn for a gypsy girl, and for several years, the gypsies are doing good turns for her and her family. The gypsies tell her that if she can successfully ride a kelpie, then good fortune will come her way. When both her parents come down with typhus, she sets out to find a kelpie, so she can turn the family's fortunes.
December 24, 2010
Jeannie saves a Gypsy from an attack in a small scottish fishing village. The girl's mother makes predictions for Jeannie's future that start unfolding. The scarriest prediction is that she will ride the mythical Kelpie.
A story rich with history and strong characters, I loved it.
A story rich with history and strong characters, I loved it.
March 11, 2012
Loved this book as a kid.
March 3, 2015
I think whoever likes folktales should read this great book.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews