Gatty's Tale

In the year 1203, nine pilgrims set out on a pilgrimage. The journey - on foot, on horseback and by sea - is fraught with danger. Not all of them will come safely home. Among them is Gatty, whose whole life has been spent working in the fields. Bright, eager and resolute, she is at the heart of a huge, ambitious novel that sweeps across Europe to Jerusalem. All the pilgrims endure aches and pains, homesickness and terrible loss; they are prey to thieves and murdererers; but it is Gatty, whose impulsiveness lands her in desperate trouble, who is transformed by the experience. With knuckle-biting drama, tremendous emotional highs and lows, and unforgettable characters, Kevin Crossley-Holland paints a wonderfully vivid picture of the world of the Middle Ages that answers the question so many readers have asked, of what happens to Gatty.

Reviews

'My top pick this month... Kevin Crossley-Holland's depiction of the medieval setting is meticulous, but ultimately this is a novel about heart and song, with the capacity to lift the spirits and move to tears.' -- Nikki Gamble THE BOOKSELLER '[Gatty] rises from the pages, staunch, resolute, frank, sincere and so alive that you feel you could almost touch her... an epic, sweeping book, perfectly realised.' -- Jill Murphy THEBOOKBAG.CO.UK

About the Author

In his distinguished career as an author, KCH has won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize and the Carnegie Medal. His notable books for adults and children include poetry, classic retellings and anthologies. He has written and presented many BBC radio programmes and is a frequent speaker at schools and libraries. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Prizes

Much anticipated stand alone novel. Closely linked to the ARTHUR trilogy which has sold 380,000 copies THE SEEING STONE was winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Award, the Tir na n-Og Best English-language Book Award, the Smarties Bronze Award and shortlisted for the Whitbread Children's Book of the Year. The ARTHUR trilogy has sold in 23 languages. Bound proofs available. Phoenix edition of THE SEEING STONE published simultaneously. Audio edition of GATTY'S TALE published simultaneously. Major publicity.