'THE THISTLEDOWN INVADER'
by DENISE FIELDER
This second novel from Yorkshire writer Denise Fielder, after her 'Hawthorn Angel' debut, is a work of genuinely engrossing proportions.
Heartily set on the Holderness Coast of East Yorkshire, this is the story of a girl facing the onset of adolescence, and cleverly it works on many levels. While this is the perfect fantasy-meets-reality (via the convenience of time-travel) story for teenagers, the quality of writing is so great that people of any age will remain entertained for its duration.
Revolving around Olivia who thinks she's poisoned her younger brother and who subsequently runs away from home in shame, 'The Thistledown Invader' proceeds to flit between her home-front back in Hull and the Coast to which she escapes. Her mother and father are divorced, and she heads for the coast primarily with the intention of staying with her father who she hopes will be doing what he loves doing best� digging on the coast, the ardent archeologist that he is.
The Holderness Coast is one of the fastest eroding coast-lines in Europe ('greedy bites of boulder clay' are taken and exquisitely described) and since Roman times countless villages have been lost to the might of the bleak North Sea. The Vikings, so history goes, were fond of landing on the coast too in their time (circa 1066 and all that), and this novel picks up on such hard facts with relish. Clearly, Denise has undertaken extensive research into the area in which the story is so vividly brought to life.
While her mother is going ballistic with worry back in Hull, Olivia hooks up with her father on the coast� and that's when a convincingly crafted historical slant comes into the story's own. At first when she sees a fleet of Viking Longboats gliding down the coast, Olivia naturally thinks she's dreaming. Hallucinogenic drugs don�t come into the matter; Olivia is too sensible a girl to dabble in such foolishly mind-numbing past-times.
No, she does have to pinch herself a few times, but the Vikings' arrival on the beach before her is far too realistic to be dismissed as being the product of a hormonally overactive imagination. Olivia even comes to befriend the young boy (known as Thistle) who is sent to shore as a potential sacrifice, all the while domestic strife headily prevails farther inland, involving Olivia's mother and father and her aunt and uncle. The unveiling of a family secret with Olivia at its apex runs parallel to her interaction with the Vikings. Believe it or not (and she initially finds it hard to), the Vikings are on their way down the Coast, making for the River Humber, then the River Ouse, and then York. Ultimately, and tragically, many would subsequently perish at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, just a few miles east of York.
Craftily included into the story is a fascinating description of the Viking-era game 'Nafle-Tafle' (which does bear plentiful similarities to Chess' dignity) and a map of the area in which the story is set.
The domestic scenes are carefully observed and the dialogue exchanged between Olivia and her elders is perfect. As for the way 'The Thistledown Invader' ends, the satisfactory sense of closure is hugely gratifying. Tenderly executed without being too sentimental, child and adult readers alike could well be moved to tears. It is ultimately a sad story, yet still uplifting in spirit.
What's more, 'The Thistledown Invader' is as-yet-unpublished, so any publishers who might be reading this, take heed - Denise Fielder is a bold, exciting and original writing talent who deserves recognition for her work.
Work which, in my humble opinion, is far more riveting than the Harry Potter adventures for being so deftly educational and caustically engaging when dealing with intra-family relationships. So Thistle down the wind and please do get in touch if you think you might be able to help in any way with helping Denise getting her novel published as deserved.
Thankyou, and goodnight.
(Steve Rudd)
You can contact Denise direct if you so wish at�
7 GALLOWAY COURT, DRIFFIELD, EAST YORKSHIRE