Cuckoo's Flight

Finished August 1

Cuckoo's Flight by Wendy Orr

This story follows on Swallow's Dance, picking up with the granddaughter of Leira from that story, Clio, who is now at a similar age that Leira was at in the earlier story. Set in the Bronze Age on the island of Crete, Clio's mother and grandmother are potter's. Their communities, and others on the island are threatened by raiders who come to kill and ransack. Clio's father Hector is a sailor and a horseman, and she has shared his love of horses. But recently she had a bad fall and now one of her legs is permanently injured and she can no longer ride her horse Gray Girl. Hector has thought about this and has been building a version of a chariot where Clio can sit and be pulled by her horse, nearly as good as riding her. 

With the threat of raiders more imminent, the decision has been made to send the ships out to trade at the very beginning of the trading season in the hope to gain better goods in return and be back earlier in case of an attack. Clio and Hector have depended on Petros, a goatherd and his family to help look after the horses, which are located near the town but outside its walls. 

Unbeknownst to them, Mika, a young girl from the fisher community has been watching them, aching to do what Clio can with the horses, while her brother Dymos harbours resentment at the townspeople who live better lives than he does. 

As we follow the plot through Dymos actions on his feelings, Mika making herself known to Clio, and the threats on the town, we see both girls grow into their strengths and make themselves vital to the defence of their community. 

There is much here on family and the community working together, whether building defences or fighting the raiders, and an outcome that will change many lives into the future. But the core story is one of the two girls are their passions and worries as they face their destiny. Clio must trust her instincts and do what she can do help her friends, old and new. Mika must dare to break away from her family to go where her heart and duty leads her.

I loved both girls as well as many of the other female characters here from Clio's mother Selena and grandmother Leira to the representative of the goddess, The Lady, and Clio's friend Delia. This book brings history alive and shows how the girl learn new skills and come to believe in their futures with more hope and self-determination.

Swallow's Dance

Finished February 24

Swallow's Dance by Wendy Orr

This middle grade book takes us back to the Bronze Age in the Aegean Sea. As the book begins, an earthquake shakes the small island that Leira and her clan live on. Leira is about to start her initiation as a priestess and her mother is next in line to become the head priestess, or Lady. But her mother is badly injured in the earthquake, and is left unspeaking, in a state of disorientation, unable to walk or reason. Leira's father is the owner of a ship that trades goods all around the sea and their family is one of the leading families. Many homes are damaged and the population retreats into the hills and countryside, taking over the homes of others and struggling to find a way forward. 

After a short while, Leira's father decides to take her, her mother, and a servant along on their next voyage, to the large island of Crete, where they will request help and healing from the leaders there, and stay with her older brother who is acting as a trader for them there.

But even Crete has been affected by the earthquake and there are things that don't seem right in the relationship with the leaders there. Despite misgivings, Leira's father feels he must leave them there and return after his trading voyage. But things quickly go from bad to worse when another earthquake hits, and Leira must grow up quickly, taking charge of her small family unit and finding a way to survive that still honours her clan and provides the small group of women with a livelihood. 

Leira is a kind girl, relating to people of all classes even from the beginning, and this empathy and willing to connect serves her well in her challenges. She has pride, but also recognizes what she must do to survive. She finds a way to be true to her Swallow Clan, honor her origins in the priestess class, and accept a new way of making a livelihood in her situation. She asks for help in a respectful way, both from the people she meets and the gods, and she finds unexpected answers. 

The more I read, the more this story and the character of Leira drew me in.