Swallowdale
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| Swallowdale | |
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| Author | Arthur Ransome |
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| Cover artist | Arthur Ransome |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Swallows and Amazons |
| Genre(s) | Children's books |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Publication date | 1931 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 1-56849-673-7 |
| Preceded by | Swallows and Amazons |
| Followed by | Peter Duck |
Swallowdale is the second book in the Swallows and Amazons series by Arthur Ransome. It was published in 1931. In this book, camping in the hills and moorland country around Ransome's Lake in the North features much more prominently and there is less sailing. A significant new character, Maria Turner, the Blacketts' Great Aunt, is introduced.
Ransome was living in the Lake District and he drew on his experiences and memories of encounters over many years with the local farming community. Ransome had often climbed Old Man of Coniston and in the book, this becomes the children's Kanchenjunga. Expeditions to Kanchenjunga in the Himalaya had been much in the news while Ransome was writing the book.
[edit] Plot summary
Returning to Wild Cat Island for their second summer holiday by the Lake, the Swallows find the Amazons and Captain Flint mysteriously suffering from "native trouble". It transpires that Great Aunt Maria has come to stay and she is a stickler for good behaviour and treating the Amazon pirates as young ladies who have to be home for meals.
Despite this, the Blacketts escape the Great Aunt whenever possible and they arrange a rendezvous. On the way there, the Swallow hits a rock and sinks. All are saved and the boat refloated but she needs repairing and so camping on the island is impossible. Fortunately there is an alternative, camping in a beautiful hidden valley, Swallowdale,(found by Titty and Roger) up on the moors above the lake.
The Swallows camp there and are exposed to much more of lakeland life: meeting the local farmers, seeing a hound trail, and trekking across the moors. The Amazons are only able to escape at intervals and get into trouble when they are late getting home. Eventually the Great Aunt leaves and they undertake an expedition to climb Kanchenjunga. On their way back the two younger children decide to walk back across the moors to the camp in Swallowdale while the others bring the Amazons' camping gear by boat. When a fog descends, both parties get lost but the elders arrive safely after it lifts. The younger two are still missing. Roger sprains his ankle on the moors and spends the night with the old charcoal burner. Titty gets a ride back to the camp with the woodsmen and next day the injured Roger is carried back to the camp. The Swallow is finally repaired and the book ends with a race and a feast followed by a return to Wild Cat Island.
