What do you think?
Rate this book
Si Hei Lwli
Nothing to worry about? Dim problem! Tanith cannot believe her ears! Merlin announces abruptly that it s time for the Dragonking and Dragonqueen of Ynys Haf to marry. But when Gwydion Dragonking mentions the wedding and a misbehaving wolf in practically the same breath, his future queen is seriously miffed and decides on a quick trip home to Mam!
- GenresFiction
Paperback
First published March 1, 1995
1 person is currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
Angharad Tomos
130 books5 followersAngharad Tomos is a Welsh author and prominent Welsh language activist.
Tomos was born in Bangor, Gwynedd in 1958, and raised with her five sisters in Llanwnda near Caernarfon. She attended Ysgol Gynradd Bontnewydd and Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle. She began her higher education at Aberystwyth University, but left prior to completing her studies to go and work for Cymdeithas yr Iaith. She later graduated in Welsh and Sociology from Bangor University and went on to receive an MA.
A relentless language activist and prominent author, Tomos has made a substantial contribution to Welsh-language children's literature. She won the crown at Eisteddfod yr Urdd with Hen Fyd Hurt in 1982. Tomos was also chairwoman of Cymdeithas yr Iaith from 1982 to 1984, during the launch of the campaigns for a Welsh Language Act and a body to develop Welsh medium education.
Tomos writes and illustrates many children's books including her popular Rwdlan series, set in the fictional Gwlad y Rwla. Rala Rwdins was the first title in this series and was first published y Y Lolfa in 1983.
In 1985 Tomos won a prize from the Academi Gymreig for her novel Yma o Hyd, about prison life, a life she herself experienced when she was imprisoned at Risley Prison for her actions whilst campaigning for the Welsh language.
She has twice won the Prose Medal at the Welsh National Eisteddfod (for her novels Si Hei Lwli in 1991 and Wele'n Gwawrio in 1997) and has also won the Tir na n-Og Award twice.
On 24 September 2009, a ceramic sculpture of Tomos was unveiled at Parc Glynllifon, near Caernarfon, it is the third of a series of six sculptures by Welsh artist Katie Scarlett Howard, as part of the Budding Artists' "Woman of Substance" project.
Tomos won the Mary Vaughan Jones Award in 2009, for her outstanding contribution to children's literature in Wales.
She also writes a Welsh language column for the Daily Post and keeps a blog on their website.
Tomos was born in Bangor, Gwynedd in 1958, and raised with her five sisters in Llanwnda near Caernarfon. She attended Ysgol Gynradd Bontnewydd and Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle. She began her higher education at Aberystwyth University, but left prior to completing her studies to go and work for Cymdeithas yr Iaith. She later graduated in Welsh and Sociology from Bangor University and went on to receive an MA.
A relentless language activist and prominent author, Tomos has made a substantial contribution to Welsh-language children's literature. She won the crown at Eisteddfod yr Urdd with Hen Fyd Hurt in 1982. Tomos was also chairwoman of Cymdeithas yr Iaith from 1982 to 1984, during the launch of the campaigns for a Welsh Language Act and a body to develop Welsh medium education.
Tomos writes and illustrates many children's books including her popular Rwdlan series, set in the fictional Gwlad y Rwla. Rala Rwdins was the first title in this series and was first published y Y Lolfa in 1983.
In 1985 Tomos won a prize from the Academi Gymreig for her novel Yma o Hyd, about prison life, a life she herself experienced when she was imprisoned at Risley Prison for her actions whilst campaigning for the Welsh language.
She has twice won the Prose Medal at the Welsh National Eisteddfod (for her novels Si Hei Lwli in 1991 and Wele'n Gwawrio in 1997) and has also won the Tir na n-Og Award twice.
On 24 September 2009, a ceramic sculpture of Tomos was unveiled at Parc Glynllifon, near Caernarfon, it is the third of a series of six sculptures by Welsh artist Katie Scarlett Howard, as part of the Budding Artists' "Woman of Substance" project.
Tomos won the Mary Vaughan Jones Award in 2009, for her outstanding contribution to children's literature in Wales.
She also writes a Welsh language column for the Daily Post and keeps a blog on their website.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 6, 2016
*This is a Welsh language book which I don’t believe has been translated into English. Also, spoilers ahead.
Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book all that much. I chose it as part of my summer reading for school and, having read some other Welsh books, I didn’t expect great things. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Si Hei Lwli focused mainly on the relationship of an elderly woman and her great-niece, and the differences between them and their lives, as they go on a journey together in a car.
Plot
I’m not sure there was that much of a plot as there were revelations about Eleni and Bigw’s lives. The plot was very character-driven and focused on what those two were thinking about in the car and the things that had happened to them – past and present. It is told from two different PoV’s – Eleni’s first person PoV and Bigw’s third person PoV. To begin with I wasn’t very keen on this style because I had no idea what was going in the book, who was talking or who the characters even were. But, as the book continued, I got into the style of the book and began to enjoy it.
Essentially, there are two different stories in the book – Eleni’s story and Bigw’s. The reader learns about the lives of both characters and it’s often emphasized how different their lives were when Bigw was Eleni’s age. As the story goes on, we learn how their lives interweave and how and why they’re traveling in a car together. There are actually some heart breaking moments in this book from Bigw’s point of view as she talks about the war (her brother went to fight but was killed) and how those she loved all passed away, even a dog at the nursing home where she lives. However, some scenes in the book are odd or downright strange, but I suppose that is the nature of a Welsh book.
Characters
Eleni and Bigw are the only two characters we get to know in this book. Eleni’s personality comes across clearly in her first person sections of the book, and the reader soon discovers how caring she is when it comes to her family. Angharad Tomos also succeeds in making Eleni a believable character. She feels the same way as many young people about aspects of her life, she behaves in a similar manner – getting frustrated, yet feeling guilty about it sometimes – and is also a very open person.
Bigw’s character is also portrayed very well, and there are clear differences between her and Eleni, yet she is still very believable and is just how you might imagine a woman in her nineties who isn’t able to do much. Her personality also becomes clear in as the reader learns about her past and how there are some similarities to Eleni and her life now.
The Little Things
Technically, the majority of the book is set in Eleni’s car and we get many a scene relating to this – cleaning the windows, smoke coming out of the engine. However the book actually ends up taking place in many a location as the two main characters remember parts of their lives. I really enjoyed seeing their pasts come to life as they thought back to various occasions that were important to them.
As I mentioned earlier, there were some odd scenes in the book that didn’t seem to fit in. They were rather unneeded and nothing all that important happened in them. Also, the conclusion of the book was rather unclear and I found myself having to reread parts to make sure that I’d understood what had happened.
Overall, I did enjoy this book far more than I expected to and I would recommend it to anyone who fancies reading a Welsh book, whether for enjoyment or for school.
For more reviews like this, check out my blog/.
Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book all that much. I chose it as part of my summer reading for school and, having read some other Welsh books, I didn’t expect great things. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Si Hei Lwli focused mainly on the relationship of an elderly woman and her great-niece, and the differences between them and their lives, as they go on a journey together in a car.
Plot
I’m not sure there was that much of a plot as there were revelations about Eleni and Bigw’s lives. The plot was very character-driven and focused on what those two were thinking about in the car and the things that had happened to them – past and present. It is told from two different PoV’s – Eleni’s first person PoV and Bigw’s third person PoV. To begin with I wasn’t very keen on this style because I had no idea what was going in the book, who was talking or who the characters even were. But, as the book continued, I got into the style of the book and began to enjoy it.
Essentially, there are two different stories in the book – Eleni’s story and Bigw’s. The reader learns about the lives of both characters and it’s often emphasized how different their lives were when Bigw was Eleni’s age. As the story goes on, we learn how their lives interweave and how and why they’re traveling in a car together. There are actually some heart breaking moments in this book from Bigw’s point of view as she talks about the war (her brother went to fight but was killed) and how those she loved all passed away, even a dog at the nursing home where she lives. However, some scenes in the book are odd or downright strange, but I suppose that is the nature of a Welsh book.
Characters
Eleni and Bigw are the only two characters we get to know in this book. Eleni’s personality comes across clearly in her first person sections of the book, and the reader soon discovers how caring she is when it comes to her family. Angharad Tomos also succeeds in making Eleni a believable character. She feels the same way as many young people about aspects of her life, she behaves in a similar manner – getting frustrated, yet feeling guilty about it sometimes – and is also a very open person.
Bigw’s character is also portrayed very well, and there are clear differences between her and Eleni, yet she is still very believable and is just how you might imagine a woman in her nineties who isn’t able to do much. Her personality also becomes clear in as the reader learns about her past and how there are some similarities to Eleni and her life now.
The Little Things
Technically, the majority of the book is set in Eleni’s car and we get many a scene relating to this – cleaning the windows, smoke coming out of the engine. However the book actually ends up taking place in many a location as the two main characters remember parts of their lives. I really enjoyed seeing their pasts come to life as they thought back to various occasions that were important to them.
As I mentioned earlier, there were some odd scenes in the book that didn’t seem to fit in. They were rather unneeded and nothing all that important happened in them. Also, the conclusion of the book was rather unclear and I found myself having to reread parts to make sure that I’d understood what had happened.
Overall, I did enjoy this book far more than I expected to and I would recommend it to anyone who fancies reading a Welsh book, whether for enjoyment or for school.
For more reviews like this, check out my blog/.
July 26, 2023
Dw i wir wedi mwynhau'r llyfr hwn. Disgrifiaf bendigedig o henoed ac o'r anhawsterau sy'n gallu codi rhwng hen pobl ac y rhai sy'n gofalu amdanynt.
March 30, 2013
This book started in such a bizarre way I couldn't tell how many narrators there were until about 40 pages in, and I didn't realise the protagonist was female until I'd almost finished because she says something about becoming a man in the first chapter. Still, it's a lovely little story once the narrative settles down.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews