Dawn Wind

by Rosemary Sutcliff

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0809831163
• ISBN13: 9780809831166
• Release Date: January 1973
• Publisher: Henry Z. Walck, Inc.
• Length: 321 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.

Customer Reviews

An Incredible Story And an Incredible Shame That It Is Out of Print

If fairy tales were historically accurate, they would read like DAWN WIND. Once upon a time during the Saxon conquest of Britain, there was a boy named Owain who, along with a war hound, was the sole survivor of the battle of Aquae Sulis. While searching for any remnant of the British host, he discovers a young girl, Regina, alone in a sacked and ruined city. As they attempt to escape to the safety of the British settlement in Gaul, Regina falls deathly ill, and Owain's only hope of saving her is a nearby Saxon homestead. The Saxons agree to care for her, but in return they sell Owain into slavery. This is Owain's story and his journey through darkness to find hope on the dawn wind. The writing is languid and poetic without being flowery. The prose is subtly peppered with authentic details of 6th century life that enrich the tale without ever becoming a cumbersome archeological treatise. Despite its length, the story flows effortlessly. It is an incredible shame that DAWN WIND and so many of Rosemary Sutcliff's other works are now out of print. With the right bit of marketing and new, sleeker, cover art (perhaps by Brett Helquist who recently lent his talents to the re-released Green Knowe Chronicles), the readers who cut their teeth on series like The Time Warp Trio, The Magic Tree House, Tales from the Odyssey, and Dear America would fall in love with Sutcliff's historical fiction. Rosemary Sutcliff is a master storyteller to say the very least.

Attn Farrar Straus & Giroux: Please reprint this book!

Rosemary Sutcliff wrote primarily for a young adult audience, but many folks well past their teens love her stories of the making of Britain. I echo previous reviewers: Dawn Wind deserves reprinting. The characters and plot are memorable; once you read it, you will not forget Owain. The book's themes of loyalty and unselfishness are timeless. Sutcliff transferred her love of British history directly into her writing. Through her books, readers learn about the Roman Legions' stay, and how the Angles, Saxons, Picts, and Normans fought over and eventually settled Britain. In Dawn Wind she uses some of my favorite "Sutcliff words": garth, kist, bothie, gleeds, kirtle. To publishers: Less than half of Rosemary Sutcliff's books are readily available. Gems like Dawn Wind, Knight's Fee, The Shield Ring, Frontier Wolf, The Mark of the Horse Lord, and Sword at Sunset (King Arthur for adults) deserve to be in print. Check other reviews. Many readers love this author and would welcome new editions of her out-of-print titles.

Hoping for a reprint

Rosemary Sutcliff creates such a beloved character in Owain. His endurance and love for others when he could have been bitter make him my favorite Sutcliff hero. I sincerely hope this book will be reprinted soon along with the rest of her out of print work.

Dawn Wind

This is one of the best books Rosemary Sutcliff wrote. It is a crime that it is out of print. It belongs with the "Eagle of the Ninth", "The Silver Branch", and "The Lantern Bearers" as the continuation of the tale of the Roman family of the silver ring with the flawed emerald (which I believe also turns up in "Knight's Fee"). It is a wonderful tale of faith, loyalty and a beautiful love story to boot. All is told as you grow up with Owain from the last stand of the Roman remnants in Britain where the story opens on a deserted moonlit battlefield, through his voluntary enslavement, and eventual freedom on another battlefield. If you can find it - read it and give it to your young adults. Other great books by this author are "Knight's Fee" and "Warrior Scarlet".

Another Old Friend

This is another great book in the D'Aguillon family series. I've been reading this book at intervals for at least 20 years. I still look to Owen as one of the greatest heroes I've ever read.As a 14-year-old boy, Owen participates in a battle which kills not only his father but everyone he knows. It is the last stand of the British people against the Saxon invaders.The story of how Owen re-builds his life amongst enemies and strangers while finding, losing, and finally finding again the love of his life is full of heroism and plot twists.I highly recommend it.