Elizabeth Marie Pope (1917–1992)

A young adult version of Tam Lin done as a novel set in tudor England. The heroine, snappish but intelligent, is sent into exile from court because of her (simpering idiot) sister's error. Alone in a strange castle, she seems to have stepped into a gothic novel with ruffs - a handsome man who is blamed for a child's death, a staff who are shifty, a lord of the manor who hates his home, and haughty gypsies.. who turn out to be remnant pagans.

There is a very low magic count in this fantasy, show more and a lot of the mystery is open to a scientific explanation if you squint, but it's a deeply satisfying story - the explanation in this of who the sidhe were was original and functional, both, and the irritable courtship of the romantic leads rereads well.

The current paperback cover is hideous. show less

Having angered Queen Mary Tudor in 1558, young Katherine Sutton finds herself exiled to the northern castle of Perilous Gard in this historical-fantasy. Confused when her appearance precipitates panic and anger in the nearby village, and horrified to hear of the disappearance of four-year-old Cecily, the daughter of her nominal captor, Sir Geoffrey Heron, Kate soon discovers that she has stumbled onto an ancient and well-guarded secret.

The inhabitants of Perilous Gard have for centuries show more guarded the holy well at which pre-Christian pagans supplicated the Fairy Folk, a beautiful but inhuman race of beings whose customs include the "paying of the teind," a ritual involving human sacrifice. When Sir Geoffrey's brother Christopher Heron offers himself in exchange for the kidnapped Cecily, Kate, who witnesses his actions, is also taken prisoner by the Fairy Folk. Forced into a life of drudgery deep underground, Kate struggles to hold on to her humanity, and to find a way to rescue Christopher, the intended teind...

This outstanding novel, which was a Newbery Honor Book, has clear parallels to the old Scots border ballad, Tam Lin, in which a young human woman must rescue the man she loves from the Fairy Queen. It is also one of the few works I have read that despite its obvious Christian sympathies, nevertheless depicts something of value in certain pagan beliefs, most notably those concerning the environment, and does not try to demonize what it condemns. The discussion of the teind between Kate and the Green Lady offers an intelligent snapshot of some of the similarities and dissimilarities between paganism and Christianity, particularly as regards the concept of sacrifice. Nor does Pope seem to glory in the downfall of the Green Lady and her kind, recognizing a tragedy in the destruction of a people...

The illustrations by Richard Cuffari are simply gorgeous, and really amplify the eerie atmosphere of the story. His depiction of the Green Lady is superb! show less

When her sister Alicia thoughtlessly sends a note to Queen Mary about how abominable the castle where Princess Elizabeth is kept, her sister Kate is exiled. She is sent to the remote Perilous Gard, where she soon finds out that the gruff but kind Sir Geoffrey and a young man named Christopher Heron have a secret. Some of the people of the castle seem afraid to tell her too much, and only reference Those in the Well with a bit of awe. Kate can't help but get involved, whatever Christopher show more Heron may tell her!

This was a Newbery Honor book in 1975, and it's too bad it's not better known because it's a really enjoyable book, and didn't feel dated at all. This was the sort of book that I hesitated to put down at the end of my breaks and wanted to pick up whenever I had a free moment. The plot is generally compelling, as the tension builds and time is running out. "Those of the Well" had a deliciously creep other-worldliness to them. Kate's as strong a character as some heroines of modern fantasy. She and Christopher were fabulous characters, and I enjoyed their banter. I would unhesitatingly read it again. show less

Thanks to the obliviously seditious actions of her sister Alicia, Queen Mary I exiles pragmatic Kate Sutton to a remote castle. Kate discovers treachery, superstition, a secret enclave of "fairies," and the sarcastic, tormented Christopher Heron.

This was pretty fabulous, and it's so full of great lines that I couldn't begin to quote them all (My favorite is Chistopher's "Kate! Unkind! How can you? Marry Alicia? Think of it!" but it requires the rest of the book for context). Kate and show more Christopher are wonderful characters: she is stern, relentless and loyal, while he's flippant, caustic, and wounded. show less