Synopsis
The Carnegie Medal–winning classic about a most unusual dinner service and the ancient, deadly magic it holds.
Mary Jo Edwards - Children's Literature
Three teenagers, Alison, Roger, and Gwyn, hear strange noises coming from the attic of their summer home. When Gwyn, the housekeeper's son, investigates he finds a stack of old dinner plates. Immediately Alison begins creating owls by tracing the floral pattern on every plate. As each plate is completed, the patterns and owls mysteriously vanish. Gwyn tries to make sense of it all with Alison's help but her mum forbids any contact. Distraught, Gwyn runs away but returns after he learns the truth. Garner's work of fiction is a complicated story that may need to be read more than once to be fully understood. A tragic Welsh love affair is repeated through Alison, Gwyn, and Roger. Gwyn must solve the mystery before it is too late. In the end Gwyn gets answers from a surprising source. Several examples of classism are apparent in this novel. The reader will either love or hate this story. 2006 (orig. 1967), Odyssey Classics/Harcourt, Ages 12 up.