Released earlier this year, this is the sequel to Karen McCombie’s superb Little Bird Flies and is aimed at readers aged 9+. It picks up the story of Bridie’s travels as she begins a new life in America (after fleeing her homeland during the Highland Clearances), living initially in New York before heading for life on the frontier. While she is now away from the dangers that the family faced in Scotland, her new life is not without peril…
This story clearly has a Little House on the Prairie vibe; however, it definitely contains more adventure, grit and tension than Laura Ingalls Wilder’s epic. I particularly liked the addition of threads to make it historically accurate: the unconscionable treatment of Native Americans by the American government, the views of a woman’s place in society, the battle against slavery and the inclusion of black pioneers all woven into the story. Bridie is still the determined, brave girl she was in the first book, but we now see her maturing as she rises to the challenge of a new life. Her fierce love for her family and friends, though, remains her defining characteristic. With a heart-warming finale which brings a sense of closure, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed that her journey has come to an end.
If you haven’t yet the first book, Little Bird Flies, you can find out more about it here: http://www.merrybookworm.co.uk/fiction/little-bird-flies-by-karen-mccombie/
Little Bird Lands
Author: Karen McCombie
Cover Art: Jasu Hu
Publisher: Nosy Crow
ISBN: 9781788005333
Paperback: 256 pages