The Edge of the Cloud

The Edge of the Cloud (1969) is the second novel in the Flambards sequence by K. M. Peyton. It is set in the years prior to the First World War and has a strong backdrop of aviation as it follows the romance of Christina Parsons and Will Russell. It was awarded the Carnegie Medal for 1969, and was reissued in Oxford Children's Modern Classics in 1998.

Plot summary

The novel is set in London where, after Will and Christina elope, Christina briefly stays with their Aunt Grace. Will finds a job as a mechanic and later as an instructor at a flying school, and Christina finds employment at a nearby hotel to be close to Will. Uncle Russel and Mr Dermont both die during the course of the story. One death fills Will with pain; the other indifference. Will and Christina become close friends with Sandy, another flying instructor, and his girlfriend, Dorothy, the spoiled daughter of Christina's employer. Will gives exhibition flights to make extra money and designs and builds his own airplane. Mark joins the army. At the end, Will becomes famous as a stunt pilot and is thinking of joining the army, which—on the eve of their long-awaited wedding—worries Christina.

References

• CILIP Living Archive
• The Edge of the Cloud at Fantastic Fiction
• The Edge of the Cloud in the OUP catalogue