Safe Return - Softcover

When an epidemic fever hits Stockholm in the early 1800s, Ursula's parents succumb. Her aunt and uncle, living on the island of Gotland across the Baltic Sea, welcome her and she soon adjusts to her new life, although the loss of her parents is always with her. When Aunt Dana makes her annual October sailing trip to Stockholm to sell the sweaters she has knitted during the year, Ursula is terrified that the Galatina will be lost in an early storm. Vicious storms strike in November, destroying a ship just outside Gotland's harbor. It's not the Galatina, but the rescued crew reports that Aunt Dana's ship left a week before theirs did. As weeks go by with no word, Ursula's hopes wane. The only person on the island who can't knit, Ursula tries to make mittens in a difficult pattern called ``safe return'' that is supposed to bring good fortune. The first mitten is completed and the Galatina sails into the harbor. In this short but stirring book, Dexter (A is for Apple, W is for Witch, p. 687, etc.) evokes with feeling a simpler way of life. Particularly poignant is the effect Ursula's hopes has on others--she brings genuine pain to those who have given up and are ready to mourn; tension builds in each scene as her determined wishes come up against the ostensibly more realistic views of everyone else. The happy ending becomes as much a relief for readers as it is for the characters living it. A memorable story. (Fiction. 9-12) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Grade 3-6-Ursula is an 11-year-old who can't knit. Today, this is not unusual, but a century ago on the remote Swedish island of Gotland, where this novel is set, it is a liability. The island economy depends on the annual sale of hand-knitted items, which several women transport via sailing vessel to the markets of Stockholm, and everyone is expected to contribute. Ursula, who was orphaned as a young child, is uneasy about Aunt Dana making the trip. When the Galatina does not return on schedule, and another ship is known to be lost at sea, the girl struggles with her intense fear of losing yet another loved one. Upset when a local bully taunts her, she teaches herself to knit and vows to knit until the ship comes home. As Christmas approaches, Ursula insists that her uncle prepare for the holiday, while other families begin to mourn. Her faith proves true; the sweater women arrive safely on Christmas Day. While this seems a pat ending, the plot is built around an actual event from 1824. Starting slowly, the story develops well, as readers feel Ursula's determination and strong spirit. Unfortunately, there is not enough background information about this unique and interesting island and its customs (what is a Christmas Pole?). Nonetheless, those youngsters who don't become too tangled in the knitting terminology will enjoy Ursula's ability to cope when life seems to be unraveling.
Toni Dean, Patchogue-Medford Library, NY
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.