The Wolves of Willoughby Chase facts for kids

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Wolves of Willoughby Chase
1st edition, with cover by Pat Marriott
Author	Joan Aiken
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Series	Wolves Chronicles
Genre	Alternate history, Children's novel
Publisher	Jonathan Cape
Publication date	1962
Media type	Print (hardback & paperback)
Followed by	Black Hearts in Battersea

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase is an exciting adventure novel written by Joan Aiken. It was first published in 1962. The story takes place in an imaginary past version of England. Here, many wolves have traveled from cold Europe and Russia through a new "channel tunnel" and are now scaring people in the countryside.

The book is the first in a series called the Wolves Chronicles. These books are set in the early 1800s, during the make-believe reign of King James the Third. The story follows two cousins, Bonnie and Sylvia, and their friend Simon. They work together to stop the bad plans of their mean governess, Miss Slighcarp, and a cruel teacher, Mrs. Brisket. Joan Aiken wrote this book over several years, and its success allowed her to become a full-time writer.

Story of Willoughby Chase

The story begins at Willoughby Chase, a large country home. It belongs to Sir Willoughby and Lady Green, who have a daughter named Bonnie.

A New Governess and a Cousin

Lady Green is not well, so Bonnie's parents decide to go on a warm holiday by ship. They leave Bonnie with a new governess, Miss Letitia Slighcarp. Bonnie's cousin, Sylvia, also comes to stay. Sylvia is an orphan who lived in London with Bonnie's aunt, Jane. Sylvia is a bit scared of the long train ride to the snowy countryside. Wolves even scare the train at one point! But when she arrives, Bonnie and Sylvia quickly become good friends.

Country Adventures and a New Friend

Bonnie is brave and loves adventures. She wants to show Sylvia all the fun things to do in the country. They go ice-skating almost right away. This adventure turns a bit scary when wolves chase them. Luckily, a clever boy named Simon saves them. Simon lives by himself in a cave, raising geese and bees.

Trouble at Home

Soon, the girls realize their happy time together will not last. Miss Slighcarp, with the help of a mysterious man named Mr. Grimshaw, takes over the house. She fires most of the loyal servants and threatens anyone who disagrees with her. She even wears Lady Green's fancy dresses and changes Sir Willoughby's important papers. Bonnie gets very angry about this. The girls also hear scary hints that their parents' ship might have sunk on purpose.

Allies and a Daring Plan

Bonnie and Sylvia are not alone. They have help from James, a smart footman who spies on Miss Slighcarp. Pattern, Bonnie's kind maid, also helps them. And of course, there's Simon, who is good at living in the wild. The girls plan to tell the kind local doctor about Miss Slighcarp's bad deeds. But Miss Slighcarp finds out and sends them away.

Life at the Horrid Orphanage

The girls are sent to a terrible orphanage in a nearby town. It is run by the even worse Mrs. Brisket and her mean daughter, Diana. Sylvia quickly becomes weak and sick from the hard work, cold rooms, thin clothes, and tiny meals. Bonnie is stronger and realizes they must escape soon. She meets Simon, who is in town selling his geese. They make a plan to escape. Pattern secretly gives them some old clothes, and Simon makes a copy of a key. Even though it's winter, the girls are warmer and better fed in Simon's goose-cart than at the orphanage.

Journey to London

After Sylvia gets better, the three friends begin a two-month journey to Aunt Jane in London. When they arrive, they find Aunt Jane is very sick from not having enough food. With help from a kind doctor downstairs, they nurse her back to health. That night, they catch Mr. Grimshaw sneaking into the house.

Justice and Happy Endings

The police and the family's lawyer, Mr. Gripe, confront Mr. Grimshaw. He confesses the whole evil plan. The girls return to Willoughby Chase with the lawyer and police officers. At the mansion, they trick Miss Slighcarp and Mrs. Brisket into admitting their crimes while Mr. Grimshaw and the police listen secretly. Mrs. Brisket and Miss Slighcarp are arrested. Just then, Bonnie's parents return! They survived the sinking ship, and Lady Green is now healthy after months in a sunny place. Sir Willoughby immediately starts fixing all the damage Miss Slighcarp caused. Bonnie's parents adopt Sylvia. They also agree to start a good school for Mrs. Brisket's former orphans and even for Diana, who has now learned her lesson. Aunt Jane, who was too proud to accept help before, gets a job at the new school.

Main Characters

Bonnie Green

Bonnie is a brave and sure of herself girl. She can get angry easily, like when she sees Miss Slighcarp wearing her mother's dress. She is a bit spoiled but also cheerful and bright. Bonnie is small but strong and full of energy. This helps her deal with the tough life at Mrs. Brisket's orphanage. She is kind and very courageous.

Sylvia Green

Sylvia is quieter and more polite than Bonnie. She enjoys having fun and is good at sewing. To her, everything at Willoughby Chase seems grand and special. Even though she lived a protected life, she is eager to join Bonnie's adventures. Sylvia has light blonde hair and is very delicate. This means her health suffers a lot at Mrs. Brisket's orphanage.

Aunt Jane Green

Aunt Jane is Bonnie and Sylvia's aunt and Sir Willoughby's sister. She is kind-hearted but also a bit strict and proud. When left alone, she almost starves because she is too proud to ask for help. After she gets better, she starts a well-run school for the orphans from Mrs. Brisket's place. She also helps Diana Brisket become a better person.

Miss Letitia Slighcarp

Miss Slighcarp is a mean and bossy person who cares a lot about how she looks. She is a greedy trickster who enjoys punishing the girls, especially Bonnie. She is tall with sharp features and wants to steal Sir Willoughby's money.

Mrs. Gertrude Brisket

Mrs. Brisket is a large, lazy woman with yellow eyes. She owns the terrible orphanage where Bonnie and Sylvia are sent. She is very proud and bossy, much like Miss Slighcarp. She only cares about money and makes the orphans work very hard. They only have school lessons when inspectors visit.

Diana Brisket

Diana is Mrs. Brisket's mean, spoiled, and vain teenage daughter. She loves being the center of attention and having power over others. She does not listen to her mother. After her mother's downfall, she becomes more humble and improves under Aunt Jane's guidance.

Josiah Grimshaw

Mr. Grimshaw used to work for the lawyer, Mr. Gripe, but was fired for faking documents. He uses this skill to create fake papers for Miss Slighcarp and change Sir Willoughby's will. This gives Miss Slighcarp full control over Willoughby Chase.

Mr. Gripe

Mr. Gripe is the family lawyer. He is a kind man who was tricked into being part of the plan to steal Sir Willoughby's estate.

Pattern

Pattern is Bonnie's kind maid. She stays in the house even after other staff are fired. She wants to make sure the girls are safe. She helps Simon and James with the girls' escape from the orphanage.

James

James is a good-natured footman at Willoughby Chase. He manages to stay working there after other staff are dismissed. He wants to help protect the girls from Miss Slighcarp. He helps Simon and Pattern with the girls' escape and later helps the police arrest Miss Slighcarp and Mrs. Brisket.

Simon

Simon is a boy about the same age as Bonnie and Sylvia. He ran away from a cruel farmer and lives in caves near Willoughby Chase. He raises geese and bees. He is kind and hardworking. He looks up to Bonnie and protects her. He saves Bonnie and Sylvia from wolves early in the book and helps them escape the orphanage. He wears furs and has a warm voice. He is also a natural artist and uses his skills to earn money on their trip to London.

Book to Screen and Stage

Film Adaptation

The book was made into a movie in 1989, also called The Wolves of Willoughby Chase. The movie follows the book quite closely. However, some characters are left out, and others are changed. For example, Mrs. Brisket's daughter Diana becomes a teenage son named Rupert in the film. The end of the story also has some big changes in the movie.

Radio Adaptation

On December 30, 1994, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a radio version of the novel.

Stage Adaptation

The book was also turned into a play by Russ Tunney. This play was performed by The Nuffield Theatre, Southampton and Forest Forge Theatre Company. It toured nationally in 2009 and 2010. The play was also performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2011 and again in 2015.