Wild Bird

Starred review from January 16, 2023
Zahler (Goblin Market) transports readers to 14th-century Europe during the height of the black plague in this searing novel for fans of gritty historical fare. When a girl is found cowering in a hollow tree in Norway, she has sparse clothing, no food, and no memories, including of her name. Coaxed out of her hiding spot by British shipmaster’s son Owen, and called Rype—or Wild Bird—by his father, she joins them at sea. Interstitials recall the tragedy that preceded these events, and primarily first-person narration details Rype’s subsequent experiences wandering the European countryside with Owen and a band of troubadours. Yet the plague follows close behind, perpetually threatening the found family with violence, suspicion, and death, and Rype realizes that it is just one of many dangers on the road. Zahler unflinchingly depicts a world in chaos due to disease, drawing contemporary parallels and thoughtfully highlighting issues of power structures, collective trauma, and remembrance. While deep bonds are formed throughout the telling, Rype’s processing her grief and finding her purpose form the character-forward story’s core, making for a novel of strength and vulnerability that will appeal particularly to readers of The Book of Boy and Northwind. Characters default to white. An end note provides additional historical context. Ages 8–12. Agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary.

January 15, 2023
A story of growth and survivorship during a time of plague. When a boy named Owen finds her cold and starving in the hollow of an old tree, the girl--age 12, or thereabouts--can't remember her own name. Owen and his sea captain father call her Rype. The only survivor of a plague epidemic in her Norwegian village, she begins to recover her memories while tending the sailors, who also begin to die of the dreaded disease. But after Owen's father succumbs, the remaining men, fearing witchcraft, strand Rype and Owen on a desolate piece of shore. As the two attempt to find a way to return to Owen's home in England, they meet up with a trio of troubadours--Ysabella, Raymond, and Jacme--and travel with them through plague-ridden Europe as Rype gradually finds her voice and remembers her story. The Black Death always makes for a grim backdrop, and Zahler does a very good job of bringing the medieval era to life. Rype and her friends are clearly of their time while also understandable to readers in ours. Rype's gradual healing and growth are sympathetically and believably shown--short flashbacks of memory interpose the main narrative--and the ending feels earned, but despite heaps of action, the novel lacks the narrative tension to continually thrust readers forward. A worthwhile journey for readers who love historical fiction. (background note) (Historical fiction. 9-13)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 1, 2023
Grades 4-7 Traumatized Rype is rescued by Owen and his father, captain of the St. Nicholas. Though she can't remember her given name, she does recall a Norwegian fishing community where everyone (including all her family) perished from the Sickness. Unfortunately, the bubonic plague also comes to the ship, and after Owen's father succumbs, the two children are cast out to fend for themselves. Determined to find a way back to Owen's English family, they join forces with a group of troubadours for company and protection. Set in fourteenth-century Europe during the Black Death and the Hundred Years' War, this story offers much that will intrigue contemporary readers: a deadly plague that attacks without warning, a religious hierarchy that sometimes abuses its power, and an appealing heroine searching for her place in the world. Short, italicized sections that disclose snippets of Rype's past are interspersed between chapters, revealing much about life and customs in medieval Europe. While descriptions of plague deaths, witch burnings, and LGBTQ prejudices will disturb some, Rype's journey and ultimate success are heartwarming.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 1, 2023
Rescued by an English sea captain and his son, Owen, after everyone in her medieval Norwegian village dies of the Black Death, Rype nurses the sailors when "the Sickness" comes to their ship as well. Sadly, Owen's father dies of it, leaving behind a first mate who wants to execute Rype for witchcraft, but Owen ferries Rype to shore and then stays with her, fearing the unscrupulous sailor will harm him for his inheritance. Trying to get to the south of France, there to take a ship to England where Owen's mother and sister are (hopefully) still living, the two fall in with a small band of troubadours who share their horses and food and begin to include them in their performances. The narrative winds unhurriedly through Germany and France, interspersing moments of tension with more ­quotidian portrayals of Europe in the Middle Ages, including the ongoing plague, talk of the political situation, wars, the patronage system, centers of art and culture, and religious ­flagellants. As Rype grows past her trauma, learns new languages, and develops a joy and pride in ­performing and songwriting, she begins to question what she herself wants, and whether she will be able to achieve it. There's more heartache in store for the little troupe, but given Zahler's close attention to the emotional needs of her young audience, a happy ending is never in doubt. Reminiscent of Marguerite de Angeli's Newbery-winning The Door in the Wall (1949), for contemporary readers. Anita L. Burkam

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from April 1, 2023

Gr 6-8-Zahler's novel offers a glimpse into the bubonic plague, the pandemic that rocked Europe in the 14th century. Owen rescues 12-year-old Rype who was hiding in a hollow tree trunk and realizes she must have been a survivor from a Norwegian village decimated by "the sickness," as it is referred to in the book. Rype begins a new life and adventure with Owen, starting on the North Sea, carrying them through part of the Holy Roman Empire and to the Kingdom of France. The two join a merry band of troubadours traveling around singing for room and board who also provide companionship and protection. Rype knows she has no family to return to in Norway and seems happy to follow Owen home to England to rejoin his mother and sister. Along the way the group encounters perilous situations readers might find shocking but were, in fact, normal facets of living during the Middle Ages. Each chapter begins with a flashback to Rype's life with her family in her Norwegian village running parallel to the narrative. Zahler's research is obvious with her diction; there are words and phrases readers will need to use context clues to decipher. Rype and Owen's affection for each other is an underlying current and could provide enough tension to keep a reluctant reader invested. Furthermore, personal connections with recent COVID-19 experiences might allow for interesting discussion in a group setting. VERDICT A great addition to any middle grade historical fiction collection.-Kim Gardner

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2023
Rescued by an English sea captain and his son, Owen, after everyone in her medieval Norwegian village dies of the Black Death, Rype nurses the sailors when "the Sickness" comes to their ship as well. Sadly, Owen's father dies of it, leaving behind a first mate who wants to execute Rype for witchcraft, but Owen ferries Rype to shore and then stays with her, fearing the unscrupulous sailor will harm him for his inheritance. Trying to get to the south of France, there to take a ship to England where Owen's mother and sister are (hopefully) still living, the two fall in with a small band of troubadours who share their horses and food and begin to include them in their performances. The narrative winds unhurriedly through Germany and France, interspersing moments of tension with more quotidian portrayals of Europe in the Middle Ages, including the ongoing plague, talk of the political situation, wars, the patronage system, centers of art and culture, and religious flagellants. As Rype grows past her trauma, learns new languages, and develops a joy and pride in performing and songwriting, she begins to question what she herself wants, and whether she will be able to achieve it. There's more heartache in store for the little troupe, but given Zahler's close attention to the emotional needs of her young audience, a happy ending is never in doubt. Reminiscent of Marguerite de Angeli's Newbery-winning The Door in the Wall (1949), for contemporary readers.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)