Found: Enchanted island across bay, brother, sister
Original topic subject: Enchanted island across bay, brother, sister
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1Tomorrowandtomorrow
Hi there! I'm looking for a children's chapter book that feels very Edith Nesbit in tone but seems too obscure to be her.
Plot: A brother (tweens/ early teens) and sister (a few years older) are at home one night when a stranger knocks on the door. He's a knight/prince from an (enchanted?) island acrosss the bay, which can only be reached under certain conditions/by certain people. The siblings travel with him to the island to help him reclaim his throne. At one point I think they're imprisoned there by the usurper. They eventually return home after successfully helping him reclaim his throne, but the sister later returns to the island to marry the restored prince.
Other details:
Their father is steward/estate manager for a neighbouring wealthy family; the children are resistant to spending time with their wealthy neighbours.
There is an ice skating scene with protagonist children and wealthy children, and possibly a birthday party.
The children's father is eventually revealed to having been helping the wealthy family through some turbulent financial times.
They reach the island on horseback, across a causeway, I think.
Impressions:
Definitely British, not American.
The boy was home from boarding school, I think.
Edith Nesbit in tone, definitely not Enid Blyton in tone.
Feels late Victorian but possibly written as late as 1940s; definitely doesn't feel later than that.
Thanks for any help!
Plot: A brother (tweens/ early teens) and sister (a few years older) are at home one night when a stranger knocks on the door. He's a knight/prince from an (enchanted?) island acrosss the bay, which can only be reached under certain conditions/by certain people. The siblings travel with him to the island to help him reclaim his throne. At one point I think they're imprisoned there by the usurper. They eventually return home after successfully helping him reclaim his throne, but the sister later returns to the island to marry the restored prince.
Other details:
Their father is steward/estate manager for a neighbouring wealthy family; the children are resistant to spending time with their wealthy neighbours.
There is an ice skating scene with protagonist children and wealthy children, and possibly a birthday party.
The children's father is eventually revealed to having been helping the wealthy family through some turbulent financial times.
They reach the island on horseback, across a causeway, I think.
Impressions:
Definitely British, not American.
The boy was home from boarding school, I think.
Edith Nesbit in tone, definitely not Enid Blyton in tone.
Feels late Victorian but possibly written as late as 1940s; definitely doesn't feel later than that.
Thanks for any help!
2keachachu
Everard's Ride by Diana Wynne Jones! It's included in Unexpected Magic: Collected Stories.
3Tomorrowandtomorrow
>2 keachachu: Found! Thank you so much! (And I have that on my bookshelf, embarrassingly!) I even thought this morning that it felt a bit DWJ'ish but was convinced I was looking for a standalone book. Thank you again!
