Secret Heart - Softcover

Almond, David

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0340743697 ISBN 13: 9780340743690

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books, 2002

Synopsis

Joe lives with his mother in Helmouth, a forgotten village crumbling on the edge of the suburbs. His days are spent trying to evade the demands of school and the taunts of the local bullies. Joe's friend, Stanny, insists that Joe must toughen up, become a survivor - and he is adamant that a weekend in the wilderness with Stanny and his Uncle Joff will do the trick.

Into Joe's unhappy world comes Hackenschmidt's Circus, and with it the strangely familiar Corinna. She tells Joe, 'In the circus there is a secret heart ' - a place of contained wildness where the barriers between the human and animal world are fluid. And indeed, Joe's dreams are already stalked by a tiger, so real that his skin and its pelt begin to feel as one ...

About this title

Review

Secret Heart is the fourth novel from David Almond: an author who always hits the mark. This time he surpasses himself with a tale of lost souls and lonely hearts, set against the backdrop of a visiting circus and the dream of a beautiful tiger.

Young Joe Maloney's dreams are invaded by the footsteps of a tiger, so real, so near, yet too far away to touch. When he meets the visiting circus people, he makes a connection that will change his life forever. Almond's writing is, as ever, almost perfect: few authors have the ability to capture mystery and beauty so perfectly, bringing the strangeness of reality and the normality of the obscure so vividly to life.

His award-winning Skellig, the beautiful Heaven Eyes and the rich and unforgettable Kit's Wilderness have left an indelible mark on children's literature, and Secret Heart is set to join them in the ranks of the truly great, appealing to children, parents and teachers in equal numbers. (Age 10 and over)--Susan Harrison

Review

A sooty darkness permeates the writing, illuminated by sudden bursts of sunlight and the music of skylarks. (The Daily Telegraph)

There is a mystical quality about David Almond's writing that makes him quite unlike any other author (Financial Times)

A powerful story of love, persecution and freedom, it is his best novel to date (and that's saying something). (The Scotsman)

David Almond's books are strange, unsettling, wild things...like all great literature, beyond classification. An exhilarating, though not always easy read for anyone who, like Joe, has tigers and larks in their heart. (The Guardian)

Mysterious and enigmatic. (The Bookseller)

A life-changing story of hope, love and encouragement for a boy who's been all but written off. (The Sunday Times)

A lyrical and haunting story. (The Daily Telegraph)

A subtle, sophisticated book. Almond's speciality is an enchanting blend of the magical and the real. (The Times)

This gripping book will enrich your soul and fire your imagination. (The Daily Telegraph)

This gripping book will enrich your soul and fire your imagination. (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 17th February 2001)

About this edition

• Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0340743697
• ISBN 13: 9780340743690
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 208