Journey to the River Sea
Front cover of the first edition
|
|
| Author | Eva Ibbotson |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Gina Suter Kevin Hawkes (US) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's adventure novel |
| Publisher |
Macmillan Children's Books E. P. Dutton (US) |
|
Publication date
|
2002 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 299 |
| ISBN |
(US) |
| LC Class | PZ7.I11555 Jo 2001a |
Journey to the River Sea is an adventure novel for children written by Eva Ibbotson and published by MacMillan in 2001. It is set mainly in Manaus, Brazil early in the twentieth century and conveys the author's vision of the Amazon River.
It was a finalist for all of the major British children's literary awards (below), winning the Smarties Prize, ages 9–11, and garnering an unusual commendation as runner-up for the Guardian Award. Anne Fine, British Children's Laureate (1952-2001 and one of three former winners on the Guardian panel, wrote that "we all fell on Eva Ibbotson's perfectly judged, brilliantly light to read, civilised Journey To The River Sea, in which we are shown how, as one of the characters Miss Minton reminds us, 'Children must lead big lives... if it is in them to do so.' because, in any other year, we would have handed her the prize without a thought."
Maia is an adopted orphan and the main character of the book. Bright, passionate, adventurous, determined and resourceful, Maia is extremely talented in music and has a great ambition for life. Maia used to live and study in a boarding school in England; all fees were subsidized by her parents' trust fund. She journeys to the Amazon to live with her relatives, the Carters, who exploit, neglect and abuse her, only keeping her under their roof for the sake of her parents' money. She grows close to her governess, Miss Minton. She also forms remarkably close bonds with both Clovis King and Finn Taverner, who are, if in different ways, in lonely and vulnerable situations similar to her own. Maia is excited and mystified by the unexplored Amazon and deeply cares about it once it becomes her own home.
Clovis (his real name was Jimmy Bates before he was adopted) is an impoverished boy actor who dreams of going home to England. He has a mishap in Manaus and leaves the acting troupe. Later, Clovis takes Finn's place and goes to England and there becomes heir to Westwood and is reunited with his foster mother who persuades him to reveal his true identity. Clovis tries to reveal his identity on a number of occasions one of which results in disaster and Clovis remains heir to Westwood. He has feelings for Maia, shown by his implication that he misses her in several areas of the book and by asking near the very end of the book if he could "have Maia when she's grown up." He now has to pretend to be Finn Tavener for the rest of his life not Clovis King nor Jimmy Bates, Finn Tavener!
...
Wikipedia