The Kite Rider by Geraldine McCaughrean
Posted at 10:08 pm | Filed Under The Kite Rider
Ready for a 13th century China version of extreme sports? How about flying by being strapped to a very large kite?It’s the 13th century, and China has just been conquered by the Mongol, Kublai Khan. The story opens at a port, where Haoyou, a bright and serious 12-year-old boy, witnesses his father plummet to his death after being enlisted as a “wind-tester” by DiJou, the unscrupulous first mate who wants to marry Haoyou’s beautiful mother. The story takes off from this bit of murderous treachery, and Haoyou has his hands full warding off the conniving DiJou and his equally despicable uncle, Uncle Bo. As head of the household, Uncle Bo demands complete obedience from Haoyou. A significant thread through the book is how Haoyou comes to terms with this Confucian stricture when applied to his greedy, pompous, selfish lout of an uncle. There’s also threads that deal with racism and grief, and of course an historical view of 13th century China, but the adventure of the story is so exciting that I didn’t think about these aspects until after I’d finished.
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