The Perilous Gard facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Elizabeth Marie Pope |
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| Illustrator | Richard Cuffari |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young adult novel |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |
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Publication date
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1974 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 288 pp |
| ISBN | 0618150730 |
| OCLC | 790324 |
The Perilous Gard is an exciting adventure book for young adults. It was written by Elizabeth Marie Pope and came out in 1974. This book won the Newbery Honor in 1975, which is a special award for great children's books.
Contents
The Story of The Perilous Gard
The story of The Perilous Gard happens in England during the 1550s. This was a time when Queen Elizabeth I was still a princess. The main character is a young woman named Kate Sutton. She works for Princess Elizabeth as a lady-in-waiting.
Kate's Exile and a Mystery
Kate's sister, Alicia, accidentally causes trouble. Because of this, Kate is sent away to a castle called Elvenwood Hall. People also call this castle "The Perilous Gard." At the castle, Kate learns a sad secret. The daughter of Sir Geoffrey Heron, the castle's owner, disappeared. Everyone thinks his brother, Christopher Heron, is involved.
Kate soon finds out that the little girl, Cecily, was not killed on purpose. It was an accident. But Christopher is still very sad and blames himself. He has stayed away from everyone in the castle because of his grief.
The Fairy Folk and a Desperate Plan
Kate hears stories from the local villagers. They are afraid that "Fairy Folk" will take their children. This makes Kate wonder if Cecily might still be alive. She thinks the Fairy Folk might have taken her. Kate tells Christopher about her idea. Christopher then secretly makes a risky plan to save Cecily.
Meanwhile, Kate discovers a hidden world beneath the castle. This is where the Fairy Folk live. They want to use Christopher's sadness to get what they want. The Fairy Folk are led by a powerful person called the Lady in Green. She believes her people need a special sacrifice to survive in the changing world.
Kate's Journey and Choices
At first, Kate really dislikes the Lady in Green. But they are actually quite similar. Both are strong, independent, and very disciplined. Kate refuses to be controlled, and this earns her respect from the Fairy Folk. Slowly, she learns more about their underground kingdom. Her feelings about the Lady in Green also start to change. Kate begins to understand and even respect her.
In the end, Kate has to make a big choice. She decides to leave the Fairy Folk to save Christopher. This action also causes the fairy kingdom to be destroyed. After this, Christopher takes Cecily to London to live with his sister. When Christopher returns, he asks Kate to marry him, and she says yes. Kate finally gets her freedom when Princess Elizabeth becomes Queen of England.
Main Characters
Here are some of the important people you will meet in The Perilous Gard:
- Kate Sutton—Kate is an older teenager. She is smart, determined, and speaks her mind. She sees herself as realistic and doesn't like old stories or legends. On the outside, she seems confident. But inside, she sometimes feels unsure of herself. People often compare her to her younger sister, Alicia. Being at Elvenwood without Alicia helps Kate gain confidence in her own unique strengths.
- Christopher Heron—Christopher is a young man in his early twenties. He is caring, but he sometimes hides this with sarcasm. He doesn't want Kate or his brother to know how upset he is about Cecily. Kate and Christopher's relationship starts off difficult. But being trapped together by the Fairy Folk helps Christopher open up to Kate.
- Sir Geoffrey Heron—Sir Geoffrey is honest and straightforward. He didn't know his wife's family had ties to a secret group under Elvenwood Hall. He and Christopher first believe his daughter is dead. He is busy working for Queen Mary. He doesn't realize how much Christopher is hurting or that Christopher might risk everything to save Cecily.
- Master John—He is the steward, or manager, of Elvenwood Hall. Master John is greedy and not very honest. He doesn't believe in the Fairy Folk's religion. But he helps them because they pay him money.
- Old Dorothy—She is a long-time castle servant. Old Dorothy knows about Master John's dealings with the Fairy Folk. She probably suspects what really happened to Cecily. But she is too scared of the Fairy Folk to tell Sir Geoffrey.
- The Fairy Queen—Also known as the Lady in Green, she is honest and strict. She is never mean on purpose. But she will do extreme things if she believes it helps her people survive.
- Alicia Sutton—Alicia is Kate's younger sister. She is pretty but sometimes a bit thoughtless. She means well, but she often doesn't realize her actions can cause big problems.
- Princess Elizabeth—She later becomes Queen Elizabeth I. The princess is strong-willed and practical. She knows that fighting with her older half-sister, Queen Mary, won't help her. But she plans to fix Mary's mistakes, including what happened to Kate, once she becomes queen.
- Cecily Heron—Cecily is four years old. She isn't much affected by living with the Fairy Folk for many months. The Fairy Folk treated children differently. They didn't make children go through the difficult "teind training" that Christopher experienced.
Main Ideas and Themes
The story of The Perilous Gard uses ideas from old legends and songs.
The Ballad of Tam Lin
The book is built around an old Scottish song called the ballad of Tam Lin. A big part of the story, and the song, is about a "teind," or "tenth." This means a sacrifice. In old Scottish legends, fairies were believed to live underground. Some people thought they had to pay a "rent" to the devil for using the land. This payment was often due around All Saints' Day, or "Hallowmas." In the book, the Fairy Folk believe they are offering the teind to their own gods.
Folklore and Reality
The Perilous Gard also mentions the Thomas the Rhymer ballad. It also includes ideas from the Arthurian legends, which are stories about King Arthur. Kate at first doesn't like these old stories. She thinks they are not real. But as the story goes on, she learns that the folklore she once disliked is based on truth. Understanding these old tales might even help her save Christopher from the Fairy Queen.
Old Ways vs. New Ways
The book also explores the idea of different beliefs. It looks at the conflict between older, nature-based beliefs (like the Fairy Folk's) and newer Christian beliefs. The Fairy Folk are very honest. They avoid some of the show-off behavior seen in Christian Elizabethan society. Kate eventually decides to leave the Fairy Folk. She finds their society cruel and their beliefs wrong. However, she still respects them. In some ways, she even misses their simple way of life.
