Falconer's Lure facts for kids
First edition cover
|
|
| Author | Antonia Forest |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Faber and Faber |
|
Publication date
|
December 1957 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 247 p. (hardback edition) |
| ISBN | 0-571-06548-1 (hardback edition) |
| Preceded by | The Marlows and the Traitor |
| Followed by | End of Term |
Falconer's Lure is an exciting adventure novel from 1957 by Antonia Forest. It's all about the world of falconry, which is the art of training falcons and hawks to hunt. This book is the third story in a popular series about the Marlow family. It comes after The Marlows and the Traitor and before End of Term.
In the 1950s, books about ponies were super popular with young girls. But Antonia Forest's publishers wanted something different and unique. So, she wrote Falconer's Lure! The story follows the Marlow family during their summer holidays at their cousin's farm, called Trennels. The book was first published in 1957, even though the story takes place in 1948. It was re-released in 2002 by Girls Gone by Press.
Meet the Characters and the Story Begins
This book introduces Patrick Merrick, a very important character in many of the later Marlow family stories. Patrick lives on a nearby estate. He was a childhood friend of Peter Marlow before World War II. For the past two years, Patrick has been recovering at home. He had a serious accident while looking for baby falcons, falling off a cliff.
The story really shows how exciting and thrilling falconry can be. But it also highlights the dangers and hard work involved. Just like Nicola Marlow, readers will be fascinated by the falcons and Patrick's amazing skills.
What Happens in the Story
The Marlow family is spending their summer holidays at their cousin Jon's farm. One morning, Nicola Marlow is collecting eggs. She hears a sound that she thinks is a cat stuck in a tall tree. She climbs up to help, but finds it's a bird wearing leather straps. Before she can do anything, the bird's owner climbs up next to her. He tells her the bird is a falcon named Jael. Its leather straps, called jesses, had come loose. Nicola realizes he is Patrick Merrick and introduces herself. Patrick then asks if she would like to help him with his hawks during the summer.
Later that afternoon, while Patrick and Nicola are out with the hawks, they feel something like an earthquake. When they get back to the farm, they learn some very sad news. Nicola's cousin Jon's plane crashed, and he didn't survive. Because of this, Nicola's father inherits the farm. This means the family will not be returning to London. Neither Captain Marlow, nor his oldest son Giles, want to leave the Navy to run the farm. By accident, Nicola suggests that her sister Rowan could do it. Rowan offers, and eventually, her parents agree. She leaves school to become a farmer.
Nicola and Patrick spend most of their summer with the hawks. While they are teaching Jael to catch rabbits, Peter, who is out shooting rabbits, accidentally shoots Jael, killing her. Later, another falcon named Regina flies away. Patrick finds her caught in some netting, but she has forgotten him. So, he lets her go free. Only Sprog, a small merlin falcon that Patrick thought was a joke, is left.
Another big event that summer is the Colebridge Festival. Nicola comes in second place in the singing competition. This happens even though she stops singing in the middle of her song because it reminds her of Jael. Her twin sister, Lawrie, is sent out of the elocution (public speaking) competition. This is because she unconsciously copied another contestant. However, Lawrie later follows the judge and convinces her to let her perform her piece again. The judge agrees that Lawrie has real talent. She even introduces Lawrie to another actor.
Peter and Patrick compete against each other in the diving competition. In the end, Peter wins, and the two boys become friends again. For Nicola, the gymkhana (horse riding competition) is very important. She hopes to win enough money to keep Sprog with her at school. Unfortunately, the other contestants think she is Lawrie. They want to get back at her for Lawrie's actions in the elocution contest. Nicola is bumped and knocked, and she falls off her horse. Later, Rowan offers Nicola half of whatever she wins in the showjumping. But Rowan is beaten by Patrick.
When Nicola arrives home with Patrick, his father greets her. He has a large cheque for her. It's from the sale of an old sixteenth-century book on hawking. Nicola had bought this battered book earlier that summer at Colebridge market. Amazed, Nicola admits to Patrick that she had been worried about having enough money for Sprog.
Characters in Falconer's Lure
- Nicola Marlow – The main character in the story.
- Patrick Merrick – The owner of the bird "Jael" and a skilled falconer.
- Peter Marlow – Nicola's older brother.
- Giles Marlow – Nicola's eldest brother.
- Lawrie Marlow – Nicola's identical twin sister.
- Rowan Marlow – One of Nicola's older sisters.
