Bookseller blurb: In 1946, Rosa Sweetman, a young Kindertransport girl, is longing for her family to claim her. The war in Europe is over and she is the only child left at Westwood, a rambling country estate in the north of England, where she'd taken refuge seven years earlier. The arrival of a friend of the family, Yara Fielding, starts an adventure that will take Rosa deep into the lush beauty of the Amazon rainforest in search of jaguars, ancient giant sloths and somewhere to belong. What she finds is Yara's lively, welcoming family on the banks of the river and, together, they face a danger greater than she could ever have imagined. Featuring places and characters known and loved by fans of Journey to the River Sea (including, among others, Maia, Finn, Miss Minton and Clovis) this spectacular new chapter in the story tells of the next generation and the growing threats to the Amazon rainforest that continue to this day.
In order to really enjoy this book (2022) which continues the famous story Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson you do need to read the original and if possible read the two books close together. I first read Journey to the River Sea in 2001 when it was first published. Then I re-read it in 2012.
There has a been a trend over recent years for 'famous' modern authors to continue classic stories. I have talked about this previously.
I have had Escape to the River Sea on my 'to read' list for several years so I was delighted to find a mint condition copy in a charity bookshop for just AUS$4. I did hold my interest and there were some good twists and turns especially towards the end but I do need to say it didn't quite give me the delight of the original story. Having said that there is a strong sense of place - the Amazon River and I did enjoy the team work of the young characters who are determined to discover the elusive giant sloth along with the truth about the shady men who seem to be also on this hunt.
I do agree with these review comments:
