Author Lois Lowry’s voice joins those of Lauren Ezzo and Andrew Gibson. Each narrates a novella inspired by the Windeby child, a 2,000-year-old body found in a German bog in 1952. In “Estrild’s Story,” Ezzo evinces restrained ferocity for the tale of a girl who longs to become a warrior, a role her people’s customs forbid. Gibson brings out the protagonist’s sensitivity in “Varick’s Story” as the disabled orphan finds joy in nature, relieving the feelings of marginalization he suffers. Lowry’s calm, deliberate tones recount how learning of the body compelled her to imagine the circumstances that led to the child’s death and how reading new research caused her to reimagine her fiction. Taken together, this audiobook is a fascinating look at the creative process. V.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

11/28/2022

Alternating via five sections between conversational history and evocative storytelling, Newbery Medalist Lowry creates a contemplative narrative around an Iron Age bog body found in northern Germany. A factual introduction describes the 1952 discovery of the 2,000-year-old body, Lowry’s fascination with the “small-in-stature, middle school–age blond person” called the Windeby Girl, and the author’s assembling known facts into a narrative to “solve the puzzle” of the figure’s story. The first resultant telling centers 13-year-old Estrild, who longs to become the first female warrior in her Iron Age community and secretly practices warrior chants with her friend, budding naturalist Varick. A subsequent historical section reveals a recently discovered detail about the body, leading to a second fictional reimagining of the story involving Varick. In this brief, evocative work that examinines the past through a meta lens, a vividly sketched portrayal emphasizes the community’s rigid gender roles and rhythms of daily life amid the natural world. Occasional art by Stroh links the sections with a recurring motif. Includes a bibliography, discussion questions, and b&w photographs. Ages 10–up. Agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Literary. (Feb.)

Moving and suspenseful…Children who are intrigued by history will find [it] enthralling. But this is also a book for young writers. Lowry the magician is willing to take us backstage and show us her tricks. “The Windeby Puzzle” explores not only how a master craftsman builds her story but why.” — New York Times Book Review

 “This book, [Lowry’s] answer to probing questions, beautifully illustrates the interaction between idea and execution, illuminating the architecture of storytelling. Dramatic full-page art by Stroh as well as photographs add intrigue.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Moving and engrossing… After learning about an ancient body found in a peat bog, Lois Lowry imagines the life that might have been in this captivating blend of fiction, archeology and bog biology.”  — Shelf Awareness

“In this brief, evocative work that examines the past through a meta lens, a vividly sketched portrayal emphasizes the community’s rigid gender roles and rhythms of daily life amid the natural world.”  — Publishers Weekly

PRAISE FOR ON THE HORIZON: "ON THE HORIZON is deeply felt and emotive, not about sides but about people, sure to lead readers to think deeply on these dual tragedies of war. A must for all collections." — Booklist (starred review)

PRAISE FOR THE WILLOUGHBYS: "The tone of this darkly dry pastiche is consistently witty, and it's chock-full of accessible parodic references to...classic children's texts." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)

PRAISE FOR THE GIVER: "Lowry is once again in top form raising many questions while answering few, and unwinding a tale fit for the most adventurous reader." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“The stories are tightly woven and moving, built of gritty, convincing detail and written in the cadenced rhythm of which Lowry is a master. But it is in the essays that she tackles, head-on, big questions of mortality and meaning in a way that is most unusual, honest, and deeply respectful of her young audience.” — Horn Book Magazine

★ 03/01/2023

Gr 5 Up—Nicely preserved, the 2,000-year-old body of a small teen girl was found in a bog in 1952 on Windeby Estate in northern Germany. Master storyteller Lowry wondered why. Estrild becomes the main character in this fusion of history and fiction. Unlike other girls, Estrild desires to become a warrior during a time when women are expected to stay at home, cooking, cleaning, and raising the children. Her dear friend Varick, an orphan boy unwanted by society, is happy to help her train in the warrior ways. The friendship that ensues is carried out to a heartrending ending that provides one interpretation for how a young girl ended up dying and buried in a bog. VERDICT Expertly written and beautifully engaging, readers will be transfixed with actual photographs and more than one explanation of this grim mystery. A first purchase for libraries.—Tracy Cronce

Author Lois Lowry’s voice joins those of Lauren Ezzo and Andrew Gibson. Each narrates a novella inspired by the Windeby child, a 2,000-year-old body found in a German bog in 1952. In “Estrild’s Story,” Ezzo evinces restrained ferocity for the tale of a girl who longs to become a warrior, a role her people’s customs forbid. Gibson brings out the protagonist’s sensitivity in “Varick’s Story” as the disabled orphan finds joy in nature, relieving the feelings of marginalization he suffers. Lowry’s calm, deliberate tones recount how learning of the body compelled her to imagine the circumstances that led to the child’s death and how reading new research caused her to reimagine her fiction. Taken together, this audiobook is a fascinating look at the creative process. V.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

2022-10-26
A venerated author interweaves an archaeological mystery—the 1952 discovery in Germany of an adolescent mummified in a peat bog two millennia ago—with the stories it inspired her to write.

The book opens by providing scientific and historical context from similar finds elsewhere and explaining how peat bogs preserve bodies and the way radiocarbon dating works. Lowry describes how she felt inspired to create a story for the Windeby Girl, whom she names Estrild, and whose tale follows, told in two linked stories. Estrild persuades Varick, a sickly boy, to teach her warrior skills forbidden to girls. When the druid priests next select the boys who will become warriors, Estrild’s determined she will stand with them. A middle section describes how recent scientific discoveries changed theories about the Windeby Girl, leading Lowry to write the second iteration centering Varick. In the final part of the book, Lowry explains how it felt to tell the stories of these young protagonists and why she was compelled to do so. While both stories feature vintage Lowry strengths—strong worldbuilding, compassionate characters—it’s the sections explaining her authorial decisions that stand out and will encourage readers to reflect upon how history is told and about whom. This book, her answer to probing questions, beautifully illustrates the interaction between idea and execution, illuminating the architecture of storytelling. Dramatic full-page art by Stroh as well as photographs add intrigue.

Valuable metafiction for young readers. (photo credits, bibliography, historical notes, discussion questions) (Fiction/nonfiction hybrid. 9-13)