Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Crossing to Paradise

by Kevin Crossley-Holland

Summary:
Gatty has been a field hand all her life. She's never left the estate where she's grown up, and never imagined she would.  When she is chosen to accompany Lady Gwyneth on her pilgrimage to Jerusalem, she's ecstatic for an opportunity to see the world.  Though she never imagined it would be so big. As Gatty and her companions make their way across the world to Jerusalem, she finds the world is a fascinating if scary place.  She'll learn to read, visit far away places, and have adventures she's never dreamed of.  But will she manage to find her way home?

Review:
Crossing to Paradise gives a fairly accurate portrayal of life in the 15th century.  Gatty is an uneducated field hand who gets the chance to travel to the Holy Land, learn to read and write, and experience things most people who lived in her position could never dream of.  The book is well written, but the historical accuracy the author strives to create with Gatty's language makes the book a little hard to understand at times.  The book is overall a good story, though fanciful in terms of how lucky Gatty is throughout the story.  A good read for those who like historical fiction, though better for older readers due to the difficulty in understanding the language at times.

Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Level: 8-9th Grade

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