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Of all the characters in THE SEEING STONE and AT THE CROSSING-PLACES, it is Gatty the village girl - steadfast, forthright, innocent and wise - who has won the hearts of readers. This is her story. Gatty, who has never been further than her own village, is picked by Lady Gwyneth of Ewloe to join the band of pilgrims accompanying her to Jerusalem. The journey is fraught with danger and uncertainty, but opens Gatty's eyes to new wonders and transforms her. A joyful, heartrending, triumphant novel, packed with incident, teeming with characters, and a long-awaited treat for the many readers who want to know what happened to Gatty after the Arthur trilogy.This ambitious novel creates a magnificently vivid and realistic picture of life and times in the Europe of 1202.
For teachers Kevin Crossley-Holland's Gatty's Tale could be used as a class novel in Y6 or KS3. Alternatively the book is well suited to group reading or literature circle activities. Download teachers' notes for Gatty's Tale (298 KB PDF) Download the discussion prompts for Gatty's Tale (207 KB PDF)
'One of the joys of this book is its clear, poetic depection of this extraordinary journey.'
Ann Turnbull
HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
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