Have you heard of the Madeleine Brent books published in the 70s and 80s? They’re famous not only for adventure, mystery and romance but also for the use of fascinating story settings around the turn of the twentieth century. The narrator is always of English heritage, a brave, capable teenage girl of moral strength, living in a foreign culture under extremely challenging conditions. There are nine Madeleine Brent books. I think they are the best of their genre. At the time of their publication, they were not considered young adult books; they were for adults. If the same books were published today, they would certainly be classified as YA. Here are reviews of two of my favorites.
Moonraker’s Bride by Madeleine BrentPublisher Souvenir Press
Hardcover 342 pages
Reading Level: YA
Summary:
Lucy Waring is a 17 year old living in turn-of-the-century China in an impoverished Christian mission, the oldest of more than a dozen orphans. Of English heritage, she is considered an oddity with her round eyes by a Chinese society that hates foreigners. Since the only adult left to care for them is bedridden, Lucy must provide for the orphans. With no food or money she has few options, and the one she chooses lands her in jail. There she meets Nicholas who is condemned to death for the unwitting desecration of a Chinese official’s tomb.
The result of that meeting is life-changing for Lucy, sending her to live with a family in England , to solve the mystery of an intriguing riddle, and to return to China for a treasure.
Review:
This is one of my all-time favorite books. It’s a fantastic story with many well-drawn memorable characters. The author’s descriptions of people and places are excellent. I think the most fascinating part is the first 1/3 of the book that lets us see the Chinese culture of a century ago through Lucy’s eyes. I was quickly drawn into another time and place. And I really cared about what would happen to Lucy. She is someone you’d admire and want along on your adventure when the going gets tough. And the scene in the jail between Nicholas and Lucy is just perfect. I fell in love with Nicholas right then and there. Maybe Lucy did too.
Cover: 3/5 (interesting, mysterious, but a little outdated)
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Ending: 5/5
My over-all rating is an enthusiastic:
Golden Urchin: by Madeleine Brent
Publisher: Doubleday and Company
Hardcover: 278 pages
Reading Level: YA
Summary:
The story unfolds in the Australian Outback. The teenage narrator is called “Mitji” (which means “white woman”) by the aboriginal people with whom she has lived since the age of two. Like Lucy in Moonraker’s Bride, Mitji is a fish out of water and an outcast, rejected by the surrounding society. She is far from her people, the walypala (‘white people’ in the aboriginal language). But Mitji has the intelligence, courage and all the survival skills she needs to run away, cross the outback and find people who will accept her. On her journey through the desert, she rescues a young man who afterward takes her home to live with him and his wife. There she learns the English language and the customs of her new life. Just as the reader thinks the adventure is over, the mystery of who she really is, how she came to live with the aboriginal tribe and what happened to her parents is revealed. And Mitji plunges once more into a dangerous adventure where her bravery and talents are vital.
Review:
Again, Madeleine Brent has written an exciting story with a fascinating setting. I loved reading this book! If you like well-researched historical novels, this book has everything—a heroine I would like to know (and wish I had the qualities of), adventure, mystery, and a touching romance.
Cover: 4/5 (The cover draws me in. I want to know who she is and what she is thinking)
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Ending: 5/5
My overall rating:
Publisher: Doubleday and Company
Hardcover: 278 pages
Reading Level: YA
Summary:
The story unfolds in the Australian Outback. The teenage narrator is called “Mitji” (which means “white woman”) by the aboriginal people with whom she has lived since the age of two. Like Lucy in Moonraker’s Bride, Mitji is a fish out of water and an outcast, rejected by the surrounding society. She is far from her people, the walypala (‘white people’ in the aboriginal language). But Mitji has the intelligence, courage and all the survival skills she needs to run away, cross the outback and find people who will accept her. On her journey through the desert, she rescues a young man who afterward takes her home to live with him and his wife. There she learns the English language and the customs of her new life. Just as the reader thinks the adventure is over, the mystery of who she really is, how she came to live with the aboriginal tribe and what happened to her parents is revealed. And Mitji plunges once more into a dangerous adventure where her bravery and talents are vital.
Review:
Again, Madeleine Brent has written an exciting story with a fascinating setting. I loved reading this book! If you like well-researched historical novels, this book has everything—a heroine I would like to know (and wish I had the qualities of), adventure, mystery, and a touching romance.
Cover: 4/5 (The cover draws me in. I want to know who she is and what she is thinking)
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Ending: 5/5
My overall rating:
About the Author:
After Madeleine Brent’s last novel, The Golden Urchin, was published, and to the surprise of most of us, it was revealed that M. B. is the pseudonym for English author Peter O’Donnell, famous for creating Modesty Blaise, a comic strip action hero. According to Wikipedia, he began to write the historical adventure stories as Madeleine Brent at the request of his publisher. “The novels are not a series, but feature a variety of strong female protagonists. They are written in first person, take place in the late Victorian era, and although every protagonist has connections to England , part of each book is set in various locations around the world—including China , Australia , Afghanistan , and Mexico . Identity—the need to discover who she really is—is often a major part of the protagonist's struggle.” (Thank you Wikipedia)
Book Availability:
The books are currently out of print, but the libraries have many of them, or they can be purchased at Amazon, on Ebay or from other used booksellers.
happy reading,
