The Skylark's War

Written by Hilary McKay

Narrated by Katherine Press

From award-winning author Hilary McKay comes a "wholly satisfying" (Booklist, starred review) story full of wit, heartbreak, and hope as a girl fights for her independence during World War I. Clarry Penrose finds the good in everyone. Even in her father, who isn't fond of children, and especially girls. He doesn't worry about her education, because he knows she won't need it. It's the early twentieth century, and the only thing girls are expected to do is behave. But Clarry longs for a life of her own. She wants to dive off cliffs and go swimming with her brother Peter and cousin Rupert. And more than anything, she wants an education. She helps Peter with his homework all the time, so why can't she manage it by herself? When war breaks out, Clarry is shocked to find that Rupert has enlisted. Then he is declared missing, and Clarry is devastated. Now she must take a momentous step into the wide world-for if she misses this chance, she may never make it. This is an inspirational, funny, and heartwarming story about a girl who dares to open doors that the world would rather keep closed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Dec 10, 2019
• ISBN: 9781980069102

Hilary McKay

Hilary McKay is a critically acclaimed award-winning author. She won the Guardian Fiction Prize for The Exiles, and the Smarties and the Whitbread Award for The Exiles in Love and Saffy's Angel respectively. Hilary McKay's Fairy Tales was her first book with Macmillan Children's Books and is a critically acclaimed collection of clever retellings. Her 2018 title, The Skylarks' War, marks the centenary of the end of the First World War and was the winner of the Costa Children's Book Award 2018. It is a classic in the making.

Reviews for The Skylark's War

[Dean Shears · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Introduces characters which you can connect to and understand, then takes you on their journey through the first two decades of the 20th century describing both the beauty of brutality of this period

[jennybeast · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Oh, argh, stupid tearjerker WWI stories. Stupid British, with their endurance, and their core of sorrow that they carefully do not fuss about. It's not a fast paced book, but the characters are vivid and endearing, the war is quite amazingly portrayed -- both the disconnect of the home front and the unbearable situation in the trenches. It's both gorgeous and bleak, and Clarry is a rock to build the world on.

[foggidawn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Clarry adores her older brother Peter and her cousin Rupert. Their idyllic summers with their grandparents in Cornwall are what keep her going through the rest of the year, living in a cold London house with her distant, disapproving father. However, it's the early 1900s, and the Great War is coming. When it does, it will change all of their lives forever.McKay is a favorite of mine, but though I enjoyed this book, I didn't feel it was her strongest writing. It has some problematic elements, and I found it generally just a little unsatisfying. If you really love this author, it has all of the hallmarks of her writing, particularly where dialogue is concerned. And if you really want a World War I book for middle-grade readers, this might fit the bill. It doesn't shy away from the realities of war, so your sensitive readers may need some guidance if they attempt it.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

"The Skylarks' War"was okay, but not great. I am definitely going against the majority of readers who have reviewed this book, but I found it to be extremely slow and lacked excitement and suspense, especially considering it was set around World War I. Also, for a fairly short book (320 pages), "The Skylarks' War" spanned several years, many of which were skimmed over. Clarry's family was certainly dysfunctional and I didn't really care for any of the characters except Rupert, Clarry's older cousin, and Clarry herself, who was an independent young woman.The writing felt young, but I don't think the story itself would be suitable for children, except for mature readers. There were sexual innuendos and quite graphic descriptions of injuries the soldiers endured when on the Western Front, so I am not sure who I would recommend this book to. I've certainly read much better books about this period of time.