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The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky
Jan. 15th, 2014 11:51 pmThe Blurb On The Back:
There were only eleven of them, like eleven sisters all the same age in a large family … On the television news they heard gunfire and the sound of helicopter blades and bombs falling. The little girls hung on to the brink of a hugeness that they knew was there but had no way of discovering.
The Vietnam War rages overseas, but back at home in a year that begins with the hanging of one man and ends with the drowning of another, eleven schoolgirls embrace their own chilling history when their teacher abruptly goes missing on a field trip. Who was the mysterious poet they met in the garden? What actually happened that day? And most important, who can they tell about it?
In beautifully crafted prose that shimmers and fades, Ursula Dubosarsky reveals how a single shared experience can alter the course of young lives forever. Part gripping thriller, part ethereal tale of innocence lost, The Golden Day is a poignant study of fear and friendship, and of what it takes to come of age with courage.
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )
The Verdict:
Ursula Dubosarsky’s literary YA novella is a slim but beautifully written coming-of-age piece set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. Characterisation is sparing, with Cubby and Icara getting the most page time but I enjoyed the slow reveal of Icara’s home life and the shifting dynamics between the classmates. Unfortunately this is a very thin novel and although the Vietnam War’s supposed to be the backdrop there’s little real sense of it or its impact and the time jump to 1975 was too jarring while the resolution felt a little tacked on. Ultimately, it’s an okay read and I would check out Dubosarsky’s other work but there isn’t enough substance here for this to be a great read.
THE GOLDEN DAY was released in the United Kingdom on 6th August 2013. Thanks to Walker Books for the free copy of this book.
The Vietnam War rages overseas, but back at home in a year that begins with the hanging of one man and ends with the drowning of another, eleven schoolgirls embrace their own chilling history when their teacher abruptly goes missing on a field trip. Who was the mysterious poet they met in the garden? What actually happened that day? And most important, who can they tell about it?
In beautifully crafted prose that shimmers and fades, Ursula Dubosarsky reveals how a single shared experience can alter the course of young lives forever. Part gripping thriller, part ethereal tale of innocence lost, The Golden Day is a poignant study of fear and friendship, and of what it takes to come of age with courage.
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): ) The Verdict:
Ursula Dubosarsky’s literary YA novella is a slim but beautifully written coming-of-age piece set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. Characterisation is sparing, with Cubby and Icara getting the most page time but I enjoyed the slow reveal of Icara’s home life and the shifting dynamics between the classmates. Unfortunately this is a very thin novel and although the Vietnam War’s supposed to be the backdrop there’s little real sense of it or its impact and the time jump to 1975 was too jarring while the resolution felt a little tacked on. Ultimately, it’s an okay read and I would check out Dubosarsky’s other work but there isn’t enough substance here for this to be a great read.
THE GOLDEN DAY was released in the United Kingdom on 6th August 2013. Thanks to Walker Books for the free copy of this book.
