The Dungeon - Hardcover

Banks, Lynne Reid

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0066237823 ISBN 13: 9780066237824

Publisher: Harpercollins Childrens Books, 2002

Synopsis

From the author of The Indian in the Cupboard, a plan for revenge by a Scottish lord goes terribly awry after he travels to China, meets a young girl who becomes his tea slave, and then returns to his native land only to realize that the person he thought was his enemy is actually a very important person in his life.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

The setting is medieval Scotland, a land dominated by skirmishes and battles on the borders, a land of fortresses and castles in Scotland, England and Wales. We meet Bruce McLennan, a Scottish laird, a man sorely-changed by a terrible family tragedy. He is a domineering master, an uncaring landlord, a cruel man, who has his heart set on building himself a castle and a Dungeon in which to punish his enemies in the future. But while the dungeon is being built, McLennan plans a trip to the far ends of the earth.

As we follow McLennan on his travels to China and beyond, we witness his buying of Peony, or Mudan, as her Chinese name is, a young girl who McLennan uses as a slave. He is uncaring, unsympathetic, as he drags her after him across the world. Gradually, knowing no other, Peony develops a kind of affection for her master.

In Scotland, Peony meets Fin, a stable lad and a loving friendship develops between them. McLennan, busy fighting off enemies, uses Peony in an horrific scene in one of his battles; he looses badly and subsequently blames her. He decides to punish her by throwing her in his dungeon... then unfolds a ghastly scene where Peony kills herself, at last in control of her own destiny. McLennan dies of guilt, shame and remorse. Fin lives on, and even Peony, perhaps, in his new baby sister.

About the Author:

Lynne Reid Banks became famous in 1962 with the publication of her young adult novel, The L-Shaped Room. Since then she has written numerous books for children published by Penguin and Collins.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harpercollins Childrens Books
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0066237823
• ISBN 13: 9780066237824
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 279