A String in the Harp (1976)

I loved this book and found myself bitterly regretting not having read it when I was 12. It is the perfect book for the 12-year-old me, but it was also pretty great for the 44-year-old me. Bond weaves her version of Taliesin the Bard's story with the story of 3 modern kids trying to come to grips with their mother's death and their move to Wales from the US. One of the kids finds the key to Taliesin's harp and is granted the ability to see the story of the bard's life. Juxtaposed with these otherworldly visions is the quotidian life in a small Welsh town. Masterfully done. Highly recommended to those of you who missed it the first time around. This would be a good book to broaden the horizons of the Harry Potter kids, I think. ( )

I enjoyed this book, but then I am an English major, taught English, have a minor in history and am an Anglophile. As a book for children I think British children would have have an easier go of it. For American children they should be fairly sophisticated and at least somewhat knowledgable about British history. It helped that I know who Taliesin is and why he is important. I found the "magic" part of this book fascinating, much more in keeping with believable, real magic. The plot is strong and kept me interested but where the author succeeds beyond measure is in the intricacies of family relationships.
The Morgan family are all strangers in a new world, literally they are Americans living in Wales for a year and also as a family who have just lost their mother and trying to make a life for themselves while learning to live without her. ( )

Peter, Becky and Jen have moved from Amherst, MA to Aber, Wales by their father who thinks a change of scenery will help. Their mother died a few months before. Peter hates it in Wales until he finds a harp key which he come to realize was Taliesen’s, the ancient Welsh bard. He starts seeing things that happened to Taliesen, then his family and neighbors do as well. It is the Morgan family’s quest to grow up and unite that make this book so good. ( )