A tender and magical tale from the 2016 recipient of the Astrid Lindgren award and author of international bestseller How I Live Now, National Book Awardfinalist Picture Me Gone, and most recently Jonathan Unleashed
Pell Ridley, daughter of a good-for-nothing preacher in mid-nineteenth century England, has watched her mother crushed by the burden of too many children and too little money. Unwilling to repeat her fate, Pell runs away on her wedding day taking only her beautiful, white horse. But, as she journeys through a strange world of gypsies in search of a new life, Pell finds that her ties to home refuse to release her.
Like the works of Philip Pullman and Sue Monk Kidd, The Bride's Farewell will resonate with readers of all ages as it grapples with timeless questions of how to live, how to love, and how to be true to one's self.
WINNER
| 2010 Margaret A. Edwards Award (Alex Awards)
“Rosoff’s prose is strong and muscular, its cadence that of a horse’s canter, its chiming tone ballad-like. Teens will be enthralled by Pell and her archetypal quest; adults will revel in the novel’s canny wit, lyricism and piercing insights.” —LA Times
“Pell’s tale is slim yet rich, like a flourless chocolate cake. The lyrical passages and the strange and wonderful characters will linger with you long after the covers are closed. You’ll be tempted to devour the book in one gulp, to read it in one sitting, when really, it should be savored.” —St Petersburg Times
“Another shift in emphasis for this always revelatory author as she illuminates the lives of the rural poor in the world of Hardy’s Wessex… it is not necessary to love horses, but you probably will after reading it.” —The Bookseller
“Pell Ridley will captivate the readers of this book.” —The Globe and Mail
“Rosoff specializes in feisty heroines, and her main character here, Pell Ridley, is no exception.” —The Guardian (London)
“Meg Rosoff is a wonderful, captivating writer--her evocation of place and time are pitch-perfect.” —Daily Telegraph (London)
“As exhilarating as a ride across the moors, Rosoff's fourth novel is rich in the emotional landscape of the untamed female heart. . . . Rosoff's vivid, pared-down style brings it closer to a kind of western . . . every sentence is crafted and weighted with beauty, but it's the intelligence and shaping sensibility with which the story is told that make it something special.” —The Times (London)
“Rosoff specializes in feisty heroines, and her main character here, Pell Ridley, is no exception…. Rosoff never patronises her readership or succumbs to the desire to make goodness seem simple: her world is as morally ambiguous as it is deftly realized, and all the better for it.” —The Guardian (London)
A tender and magical tale from the 2016 recipient of the Astrid Lindgren award and author of international bestseller How I Live Now, National Book Awardfinalist Picture Me Gone, and most recently Jonathan Unleashed
Pell Ridley, daughter of a good-for-nothing preacher in mid-nineteenth century England, has watched her mother crushed by the burden of too many children and too little money. Unwilling to repeat her fate, Pell runs away on her wedding day taking only her beautiful, white horse. But, as she journeys through a strange world of gypsies in search of a new life, Pell finds that her ties to home refuse to release her.
Like the works of Philip Pullman and Sue Monk Kidd, The Bride's Farewell will resonate with readers of all ages as it grapples with timeless questions of how to live, how to love, and how to be true to one's self.
Awards
WINNER
| 2010 Margaret A. Edwards Award (Alex Awards)
Praise
“Rosoff’s prose is strong and muscular, its cadence that of a horse’s canter, its chiming tone ballad-like. Teens will be enthralled by Pell and her archetypal quest; adults will revel in the novel’s canny wit, lyricism and piercing insights.” —LA Times
“Pell’s tale is slim yet rich, like a flourless chocolate cake. The lyrical passages and the strange and wonderful characters will linger with you long after the covers are closed. You’ll be tempted to devour the book in one gulp, to read it in one sitting, when really, it should be savored.” —St Petersburg Times
“Another shift in emphasis for this always revelatory author as she illuminates the lives of the rural poor in the world of Hardy’s Wessex… it is not necessary to love horses, but you probably will after reading it.” —The Bookseller
“Pell Ridley will captivate the readers of this book.” —The Globe and Mail
“Rosoff specializes in feisty heroines, and her main character here, Pell Ridley, is no exception.” —The Guardian (London)
“Meg Rosoff is a wonderful, captivating writer--her evocation of place and time are pitch-perfect.” —Daily Telegraph (London)
“As exhilarating as a ride across the moors, Rosoff's fourth novel is rich in the emotional landscape of the untamed female heart. . . . Rosoff's vivid, pared-down style brings it closer to a kind of western . . . every sentence is crafted and weighted with beauty, but it's the intelligence and shaping sensibility with which the story is told that make it something special.” —The Times (London)
“Rosoff specializes in feisty heroines, and her main character here, Pell Ridley, is no exception…. Rosoff never patronises her readership or succumbs to the desire to make goodness seem simple: her world is as morally ambiguous as it is deftly realized, and all the better for it.” —The Guardian (London)
