Review of “Beyond the Western Sea - The Escape from Home” by Avi
“The Escape from Home” by Avi is book one in the two part “Beyond the Western Sea” series. This amazing historical fiction adventure explores the experiences and feelings of three children as they leave their homelands and set off for America, the New World.
Two of these children, Maura O’Connell, age fifteen, and Patrick O’Connell, age twelve, are from Ireland. At the start of the story they are living in a small village called Kilonny with their mother. Gregory O’Connell, the father of Maura and Patrick, emigrated from Ireland to America to try to find work. For nearly a year they have received no news from him, and they are beginning to fear that he has not survived the dangerous passage over the Western Sea. But then they receive a letter from him containing fifteen pounds, which Maura, Patrick, and their mother are to use to buy passage to America.
This news, and money, comes just in time, for agents of their landlord, Lord Kirkle, arrive to tumble the village of Kilonny. Because of the Potato Famine, the tenants have been unable to pay their rent, and Lord Kirkle refuses to allow them to stay on his land. The soldiers destroy Kilonny, forcing the O’Connells to flee Ireland. At the last moment, just as Maura and Patrick are preparing to cross the channel to Liverpool, where there boat will depart to America, their grief-stricken mother refuses to leave Ireland. She pushes Maura and Patrick onto the boat, and leaves them to make the voyage themselves.
Meanwhile another child is also leaving home on his own. Sir Laurence Kirkle, age eleven is the son of Lord Kirkle, the greedy landlord that ordered that Kilonny be tumbled. Laurence lives a life of luxury, but he still isn’t satisfied, because his father shows favoritism to his older brother Albert, who is heir to the family fortune. After Lord Kirkle allows Albert to beat Laurence with a cane for “disrespect” it is the final straw.
Laurence decides that he is going to run away to America. Unsure of how much money he will need, he takes a thousand pounds in bank notes from his father, and sets off into the streets of London, headed for Liverpool. Little does Laurence realize, but a thousand pounds is an immense fortune, more than many people earn in their entire lifetime. Within hours of running away, most of the money has been stolen from him, by a disguised street beggar with one eye. The inexperienced Laurence is desperately lost and filthy. Police and other people refuse to help him, thinking that he is a common beggar.
When Albert learns that his brother has run away he is secretly overjoyed. He hires a man named Mr. Clemspool, to find Laurence and make sure that he makes it to America, hopefully never to return. At the same time, his father, heartbroken over both his son’s disappearance, and the loss of a thousand pounds, hires a private inspector, Mr. Pickler to track down Laurence and bring him back.
But Mr. Pickler gets a late start on the case, and he isn’t helped by the fact that Lord Kirkle lies about the details about why Laurence ran away. Mr. Clemspool meets up with Laurence and takes him to Liverpool, posing as a gentleman who just happens to be on his way to America, and would be overjoyed to help Laurence. Needless to say he doesn’t mention the fact that he is being paid by Albert.
When Laurence and Mr. Clemspool reach Liverpool, Laurence begins to suspect that Mr. Clemspool is more than meets the eye. Laurence discovers that Mr. Clemspool has dealings with both Albert, and the one-eyed man, the very one that stole his thousand pounds! Enraged Laurence runs away yet again.
But Liverpool is a dangerous place to be alone, because it is full of desperate people who need money for passage to America. Both Maura and Patrick O’Connell and Laurence will have to be very careful. On the one hand there are unscrupulous individuals who would like to steal Maura and Patrick’s money and tickets. But Laurence is also in danger because he is being tracked through Liverpool by both Mr. Pickler and Mr. Clemspool. If Maura, Patrick, and Laurence don’t make the right decisions they make never make it to America.
“The Escape From Home” is a thrilling adventure story by author Avi. The chapters are kept very short, and each ends with an important statement or cliffhanger that will keep readers turning the pages. I love the way Avi is able to maintain a careful tension throughout the whole book. Even the amazing cliffhanger conclusion of the book will make readers want to continue the experience in the next book “Beyond the Western Sea.” The adventure continues in “Lord Kirkle’s Money,” about the passage to America, and the new lives, and old dangers, that the children will experience once they arrive.
The characters in “The Escape from Home” are vivid and sensitive. I enjoyed the way Avi used the third person perspective to the full, showing the emotions and thoughts in each character’s mind. The characters feel very authentic, just as genuine as the 1850’s world that they live in.
I feel that “Beyond the Western Sea - The Escape from Home” and its sequel “Lord Kirkle’s Money” are a first rate historical fiction adventure that all readers will enjoy.
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