Desterrado by Rosemary Sutcliff | Novela historcia | Historical novel | Outcast

Desterrado is the Spanish title of Rosemary Sutcliff’s Outcast, first published in England in 1955

Único superviviente de un naufragio, Beric se crió en un poblado celta, aunque fue desde el principio un forastero. El viejo druida insistió en que llevaba la maldición del mar, y cuando años más tarde la muerte llega al poblado, los dedos acusadores señalan al joven Beric.

Desterrado por su tribu, Beric se queda sin familia ni amigos. Sin casa ni dinero, deberá sobrevivir por sus propios medios en el implacable mundo romano, en el que el peligro y la muerte acechan a cada vuelta del camino.

Desterrado pertenece a la apasionante serie de novelas sobre Britania que escribió la aclamada Rosemary Sutcliff, una de las grandes escritoras del género del siglo XX, y a principios de año nos llegará la primera adaptación cinematográfica de su novela más conocida, El águila de la Novena Legión.

Rosemary Sutcliff Орел IX легиона Russian trailer and synopsis of film The Eagle and book The Eagle of the Ninth

Synopses of the story of The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff are now coming thick and fast in various languages, in the guise of summaries of the story of the film The Eagle. Here in Russian:

II век нашей эры. Молодой центурион Маркус Акила прибывает из Рима на Британские острова и отправляется в горы Шотландии на поиски пропавшего пятнадцать лет назад легендарного Девятого легиона, которым командовал его отец… В спутники Маркус берет кельта Эска, спасенного им из рабства. Дикие племена и непредсказуемые опасности стоят на пути героя, который во чтобы то ни стало должен найти след римских воинов и спасти главный символ легиона — Орла Девяти.

And here a Russian dubbed trailer!

SZKARŁAT WOJOWNIKA | Rosemary Sutcliff historical novel Warrior Scarlet | Polish edition

This cover of a Polish edition of Rosemary Sutcliff’s wonderful Warrior Scarlet is a new one on me! I found it via ebay.

Cover of Polish Warrior Scarlet edition

Rosemary Sutcliff’s Warrior Scarlet in critic Julia Eccleshare’s Top Ten Children’s Books

Rosemary Sutcliff's Warrior Scarlet hardback coverWarrior Scarlet by Rosemary Sutcliff is recommended by Julia Eccleshare, children’s books editor of the Guardian newspaper, as one of her  Top Ten Children’s Books in Babyccino Kids, ‘an international lifestyle website for modern mums’:

… true burning Warrior Scarlet … was the very colour of courage itself. No woman might wear the colour, nor might the Half People who came and went at the Tribe’s call. It was for the Men’s side.

Warrior Scarlet, published in 1957,  is indeed  a wonderful historical novel, illustrated by Charles Keeping. Of the story, Julia Eccleshare writes:

Rosemary Sutcliff had an exceptional ability to bring the past to life; in Warrior Scarlet it is the Bronze Age. Drem needs to kill a wolf to become a man of the tribe. How he first fails and then succeeds in doing so despite his withered arm is a moving story about overcoming adversity.

Julia Eccleshare compiled  1001 Children’s Books: You Must Read Before You Grow Up,

Blue Remembered Hills by Rosemary Sutcliff

Blue Remembered Hills is Rosemary Sutcliff’s autobiography, covering the period until she was first published. Avid reader Lyn commented on her blog earlier this year:

It’s a beautifully written story of a lonely child crippled by juvenile arthritis who nevertheless didn’t feel she had had a deprived life. The tone of the book is one of gratitude for life’s blessings & joy at the natural world, her friends, her dogs & her love for her parents.

A customer and Amazon reviewer – intriguingly at one of the Universities in the town where I write this – wrote over ten years ago:  Read More »