December 8th- Winter Holiday
This is part of the Christmas Book Advent Calender, where we post a new Christmas/winter book recommendation every day leading up to Christmas. More info can be found here…
December 8th- Winter Holiday recommended by Rhys of ThirstforFiction
A bit old, you might be thinking- and you wouldn’t be wrong- it was published in the 1930s after all, but it’s one of those British classics you can’t afford to miss. Many of your parents (and I sound so old writing this…even though I’m only 14 o_O) will have heard and probably even read the Swallows and Amazons series when they were young. Written by Arthur Ransome, they are adventure-type novels about four kids in various places around the UK- and Winter Holiday just happens to be in the Lake District in the middle of winter.
I actually received Winter Holiday for my birthday (or Christmas, I can’t remember which) from my aunt, while we were skiing. She read a bit every night- and I loved it. It’s full of snowy adventures like ice skating on a huge frozen lake or taking “practice arctic expeditions”.
Without giving too much away, Winter Holiday follows the lives of the “Swallows” and the “Amazons”- as well as introducing Dick and Dorothea (how old fashioned are those names?!) as they build igloos, learn to signal using morse code and do various other adventurous outside activities. Not your cup of tea? Maybe not, but for anyone who wants a feel for pre-WW2 kids, this is the book, which is not dissimilar from any of Enid Blyton’s novels.
The fourth book in Arthur Ransome’s classic series for children, Winter Holiday takes intrepid explorers John, Susan, Titty, and Roger Walker, and fearsome Amazon pirates Nancy and Peggy Blackett to the North Pole. Joined by budding novelist Dorethes Callum and her scientist brother Dick, the children plan an “Arctic” expedition. But unforseen events seperate the travelers and disaster nearly strikes in the exciting climax of their race to the Pole.
