The Windeby Puzzle: History and Story

Newbery Medalist and New York Times bestselling author Lois Lowry transports readers to an Iron Age world through the suspenseful dual narrative of a boy and girl both battling to survive. In an utterly one-of-a-kind blend of fiction and history, a master storyteller explores the mystery and life of the 2,000-year-old Windeby bog body.

Estrild is not like the other girls in her village; she wants to be a warrior. Varick, the orphan boy who helps her train in spite of his twisted back, also stands apart. In a world where differences are poorly tolerated, just how much danger are they in?

Inspired by the true discovery of the 2,000-year-old Windeby bog body in Northern Germany, Newbery Medalist and master storyteller Lois Lowry transports readers to an Iron age world as she breathes life back into the Windeby child, left in the bog to drown with a woolen blindfold over its eyes.

This suspenseful exploration of lives that might have been by a gifted, intellectually curious author is utterly one of a kind. Includes several arresting photos of archeological finds, including of the Windeby child.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

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The Windeby Puzzle: History and Story

Newbery Medalist and New York Times bestselling author Lois Lowry transports readers to an Iron Age world through the suspenseful dual narrative of a boy and girl both battling to survive. In an utterly one-of-a-kind blend of fiction and history, a master storyteller explores the mystery and life of the 2,000-year-old Windeby bog body.

Estrild is not like the other girls in her village; she wants to be a warrior. Varick, the orphan boy who helps her train in spite of his twisted back, also stands apart. In a world where differences are poorly tolerated, just how much danger are they in?

Inspired by the true discovery of the 2,000-year-old Windeby bog body in Northern Germany, Newbery Medalist and master storyteller Lois Lowry transports readers to an Iron age world as she breathes life back into the Windeby child, left in the bog to drown with a woolen blindfold over its eyes.

This suspenseful exploration of lives that might have been by a gifted, intellectually curious author is utterly one of a kind. Includes several arresting photos of archeological finds, including of the Windeby child.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

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The Windeby Puzzle: History and Story

The Windeby Puzzle: History and Story

by Lois Lowry

Narrated by Lois Lowry, Lauren Ezzo, Andrew Gibson

Unabridged — 3 hours, 20 minutes

The Windeby Puzzle: History and Story

The Windeby Puzzle: History and Story

by Lois Lowry

Narrated by Lois Lowry, Lauren Ezzo, Andrew Gibson

Unabridged — 3 hours, 20 minutes

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Overview

Newbery Medalist and New York Times bestselling author Lois Lowry transports readers to an Iron Age world through the suspenseful dual narrative of a boy and girl both battling to survive. In an utterly one-of-a-kind blend of fiction and history, a master storyteller explores the mystery and life of the 2,000-year-old Windeby bog body.

Estrild is not like the other girls in her village; she wants to be a warrior. Varick, the orphan boy who helps her train in spite of his twisted back, also stands apart. In a world where differences are poorly tolerated, just how much danger are they in?

Inspired by the true discovery of the 2,000-year-old Windeby bog body in Northern Germany, Newbery Medalist and master storyteller Lois Lowry transports readers to an Iron age world as she breathes life back into the Windeby child, left in the bog to drown with a woolen blindfold over its eyes.

This suspenseful exploration of lives that might have been by a gifted, intellectually curious author is utterly one of a kind. Includes several arresting photos of archeological finds, including of the Windeby child.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.


Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

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

Kirkus Reviews

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)

Product Details

BN ID: 2940175683036
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: 02/14/2023
Edition description: Unabridged
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