Victory- Susan Cooper

Finally, I figured out how to insert a picture again- thanks, Jennifer. I think it’s so much nicer to have a visual for the book you’re reading about.

Victory is another outstanding novel by Susan Cooper, well-known author of The Dark is Rising sequence. True to form, there is always a fantastical twist to her stories and this is no exception. The story follows the lives of two eleven-year old children, but that is where the similarity ends. Sam Robbins is an 1800’s farm boy who has been pressed to serve in the navy, along with his uncle. Treated like a slave with little hope of escape, Sam gradually discovers in himself a love for the sea and becomes part of the great Battle of Trafalgar, where Lord Nelson meets his demise. The story is first person and past tense. We are also a part of Molly’s world, two hundred years later. This is told in present tense and third person narrative. This will enable readers to transition between the parallel plot lines most readily. Although there seems to be no likely connection between these two characters, Cooper gradually brings their lives closer together through Molly’s unusual interest in HMS Victory and an old book, The Life of Nelson, discovered in a quaint bookstore! I wonder just how much that bookstore owner really knew! The connection she feels becomes even stronger when she finds a piece of the flag left in a secret hiding place in the book. Molly is facing her own trials; her life having been uprooted from her home in England to America. Sam, of course, is focused on survival. Cooper seamlessly weaves the stories together and effortlessly leads you to the meshing of stories. This novel combines the genres of fantasy with a solid foundation in historical fiction- one of my favourite blends! This would suit adventure loving boys, history lovers and girls who are struggling with their own life’s circumstances. An excellent and highly recommended read! I am quite tempted to go back and read The Dark is Rising series all over again!