Cuckoo Song (novel) facts for kids

Cuckoo Song is an exciting fantasy novel by Frances Hardinge. It was published on May 8, 2014. The book is for children and young adults. It won the 2015 Robert Holdstock Award. It was also a finalist for the 2015 Carnegie Medal.

The story happens in the early 1920s. This was a few years after the First World War. Most of the book is set in a made-up English city called Ellchester. Ellchester is a hilly city with many bridges. It is also next to a river mouth.

Ellchester has a secret fairy world underneath it. This place is called the Underbelly. It is home to forgotten fairy creatures called the Besiders. An important character known as the Architect built the Underbelly. This was a new home for the Besiders. Their old hidden places in the countryside were becoming rare.

Frances Hardinge shared some interesting facts about her book. The name of "The Grimmer" pond comes from a real millpond. This pond was in her grandmother's village. The character Violet Parish is also based on her grandmother. Her grandmother once surprised her village by riding a motorcycle.

In December 2020, it was announced that Cuckoo Song would become a Netflix show. The screenwriter Sarah Dollard is adapting it.

The Story of Cuckoo Song

The main character, Triss, has been feeling strange. This started after she was rescued from The Grimmer. It is a pond near her family's holiday home. Her memory is fuzzy. She sees her dolls moving on their own. Triss also feels very hungry. She even wants to eat her own belongings. Dead leaves appear in her hair. Her tears look like spiderwebs.

Her younger sister, Pen, seems to really dislike her. Pen says odd things to Triss. Back home in Ellchester, Triss finds a Besider. This creature is delivering letters from her dead brother, Sebastian. Sebastian writes that he is stuck in a never-ending winter. Triss catches the Besider. She learns about the Underbelly. She also finds out she only has seven days to live.

Triss follows Pen to meet the Architect. Pen then admits something shocking. She led Triss to The Grimmer on purpose. The Besiders threw a stick doll into the pond. This doll had some of Triss's things inside it. The doll came out as a changeling. It looked just like Triss. It even had some of her memories. When Triss learns she is not the real Triss, she calls herself Not-Triss.

A tailor named Mr. Grace tells Triss's parents that Not-Triss is a Besider changeling. He tells them to get rid of her. But Pen saves Not-Triss. Pen has started to feel sorry for her. Violet Parish also helps keep the girls safe. They visit the Underbelly. There, they meet the Shrike. The Shrike explains why Triss was taken. It was to punish her father. He had broken an agreement with the Architect.

Not-Triss now wants to find and save the real Triss. She also wants to free Sebastian's spirit. And she hopes to live longer than her seven-day limit. In the end, Not-Triss finds a way to save herself. She traps one of her belongings in her brother's watch. This frees Sebastian from his endless winter. She also saves Violet from her own winter curse.

Main Characters

• Triss (Theresa) Crescent – A 12-year-old girl. She feels unwell after falling into The Grimmer pond.
• Not-Triss, Fake-Triss, Trista – These are names for the stick-doll changeling. This creature looks like Triss and replaces her for seven days.
• Pen (Penny, Penelope) Crescent – Triss's tough 9-year-old sister. She initially dislikes Triss and often runs away.
• Sebastian Crescent – Triss's older brother. He died in the First World War. But he still sends letters.
• Piers Crescent – Triss's father. He is the city architect of Ellchester.
• Celeste Crescent – Triss's mother. She often feels tired.
• Violet Parish – Sebastian's former fiancée. She rides a motorbike. When she stays in one place for too long, it causes snow.
• Jack – Violet's friend. He fought with Sebastian and saw him die.
• Joseph Grace – A tailor. He believes he knows what is wrong with Triss.
• Dr Mallows – The Crescent family's doctor.
• Besiders – Forgotten fairy creatures. They are moving from the countryside to secret city homes. They are scared of scissors and roosters.
• The Bird-thing – A small flying Besider. It has an old lady's face. It delivers letters from Sebastian.
• The Architect – The main Besider. He designs the secret Besider homes. He arranged for Triss to be replaced.
• The Shrike – A powerful Besider. This creature created Not-Triss.