A String in the Harp facts for kids
First edition cover
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| Author | Nancy Bond |
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| Illustrator | Allen Davis |
| Cover artist | Allen Davis |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's Fantasy |
| Publisher | Atheneum Books |
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Publication date
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1976 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 370 pp |
| Awards | Newbery Honor 1977 Tir na n-Og Award 1977 |
| ISBN | 068950036X |
| OCLC | 14272089 |
A String in the Harp is an exciting fantasy novel for young readers. It was written by Nancy Bond and first came out in 1976. The book won two important awards in 1977: a Newbery Honor and the Welsh Tir na n-Og Award.
The story is about the American Morgan family. They move to Wales for a while. There, Peter Morgan finds a special, magical harp key. This key lets him see amazing visions of the past. It's a unique time travel story. The book also explores how the family deals with sadness and finds healing after their mother's death.
Contents
Story Summary
The novel begins with the American Morgan family living in Wales. Mrs. Morgan had wanted to move there from Boston. Sadly, she passed away before the story starts. The family is left in Wales.
One year after her death, the oldest daughter, Jen, flies from America. She joins her family in Wales for Christmas. Mr. Morgan has a temporary teaching job. He works at the University of Aberystwyth. He lives with his two younger children in a seaside village.
Jen is upset to find their home cold and uncomfortable. Her brother and sister are unhappy. Their father seems to be ignoring them. Jen eventually convinces her father to let her stay in Wales. She wants to remain with the family instead of finishing high school in America. To help her learn, her father gives her challenging books to read.
Peter Morgan, who doesn't like living in Wales, finds something mysterious. He discovered it by the shore. He learns it's a special key used to tune a harp. This key once belonged to a famous Celtic poet, Taliesin. The key has a quiet magic power. It lets Peter see visions of Taliesin's life long ago.
Soon, Peter isn't the only one seeing visions. The whole family sees an ancient battle. It happens on Borth Bog. They don't fully understand what is happening at first. They even see a she-wolf caught in a hunt. This is surprising because wolves are extinct in Wales.
A man named John Owen from the National Museum hears about the key. He tries to get it for the museum. But Peter believes the key should go back to Taliesin. At the end of the story, Peter finds Taliesin's secret grave. He manages to return the key there.
Where the Story Happens
The main place the story takes place is Borth. This is a village by the sea near Aberystwyth. Other parts of the story happen in modern-day Aberystwyth and Cardiff. Some scenes also take place in Britain during the sixth century.
Main Characters
- Jennifer Morgan: A 15-year-old American girl.
- Peter Morgan: Her 12-year-old brother.
- Becky Morgan: Her 10-year-old sister.
- David Morgan: A university teacher of English. He is the widowed father of Jen, Peter, and Becky.
- Mrs. Davies: The Morgans' neighbor. She helps them daily and runs a bed and breakfast.
- Gwilym Davies: Mrs. Davies' son. He is a schoolboy who loves watching birds. He becomes friends with the Morgan children.
- Rhian Evans: A Welsh school friend of Becky's. She lives on a sheep farm in the hills with her family.
- Dr. Gwyn Rhys: The Director of Welsh Studies at the University of Aberystwyth. He is a friend and colleague of David Morgan.
- Dr. John Owen: A person from the National Museum in Cardiff.
Characters from the Past
- Taliesin: A famous Welsh poet, or bard, from the sixth century.
- Aneirin: Another bard, who is Taliesin's friend and guide.
- Elphin Rheged: Taliesin's student. He is a son of Urien Rheged.
- Gwyddno Garanhir: The king of Ceredigion. He is Taliesin's supporter and friend.
- Maelgwn Gwynedd: The king of Gwynedd.
How the Book Was Created
Nancy Bond started writing A String in the Harp after returning to the United States. She had spent a year studying in Aberystwyth, Wales. She used her own experiences and feelings about Wales to write the book. She said the American family in the story noticed and adjusted to the same things she did.
Bond didn't plan to write a fantasy story. She thought of herself as a realistic writer. She was surprised that her first book turned out to be a fantasy. She found that using the life of Taliesin was a good way to add Welsh history to her story. Taliesin was already connected to the area she was writing about. His presence helped show how old and historic Wales was to her American readers.
She needed a special object to start the fantasy parts of the story. When she learned that harp keys are important for tuning, she knew she had found the right object. The visions that the key brings to Peter and the others connect all the different parts of the story.
Taliesin was a British poet from the 6th century. Not much is known about his life, only what his own poems tell us. So, Bond added details to fit her story. The place called Bedd Taliesin means 'Taliesin's grave', but his real burial spot is unknown. Later stories link him to King Arthur. However, Bond wanted Taliesin to seem as real as possible. This helped make the fantasy parts of the book feel grounded in reality.
Fantasy Elements
A String in the Harp is a time travel fantasy. It's special because the children watch Taliesin's world but don't fully enter it. This makes it different from many other time-travel books. The story also feels very real. This helps make the time-travel parts believable.
Some people have compared A String in the Harp to Susan Cooper's fantasy series, The Dark Is Rising Sequence. Both authors wrote books in the 1970s that used Welsh mythology, including stories from the Mabinogion. Both writers show how magic can enter everyday life. This magic can be both a challenge and a threat. Bond's book, however, focuses more on family. Her magic helps the Morgan family grow and heal.
Main Ideas (Themes)
A String in the Harp is a story about friendship and family challenges. The difficulties between Peter and his father are a big part of the book. The whole family is trying to cope with their sadness after their mother's death. Their struggles to accept these changes are at the heart of the story.
One important idea is that magic can happen in the real world. At first, Jen doesn't believe Peter's visions. But other characters are more open to the idea. Mr. Evans, the farmer, says there are "things as can't be explained." Later, Jen talks to Professor Rhys about Peter's visions. She hopes for a simple explanation. Instead, he surprises her by saying he believes magic is possible. He says, "the more I learn the less I know... Why should there not be forces we do not understand?"
Another idea in the book is that people's lives form patterns. Sometimes these patterns are connected. What one person does can affect another, even centuries apart. For example, Peter returning Taliesin's key brings peace to both of them.
See Also
- List of Newbery Medal and Honor Books
- Tir na n-Og Award
