Gatty's Tale. Kevin Crossley-Holland

I picked up this book from the library on an impulse: my current topic of interest is the Crusades, and "Gatty's Tale", looked as though it would satisfy this itch. Chronicling the journey of a young girl who undertakes a pilgrimage, Kevin Crossley-Holland takes his spunky little protagonist on a fascinating journey from Wales to Jerusalem, as well as from girlhood to womanhood. The year is 1203, and Gatty is a fifteen year old field-girl employed by Lady Gwyneth de Ewloe as a chamber-servant to accompany her on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Lady Gwyneth wants to travel to Jerusalem to obtain forgiveness from some as-yet unknown sin, and has gathered together nine pilgrims to make the journey with her across Europe to the heart of the world. The pilgrims are an assorted lot: a husband and wife, a music teacher, a lady-in-waiting, a priest, a cook...all of them make up an extended family as they brave the perils of the journey over mountain and across desert, and we are with them as they squabble, pray, suffer, tell stories, joke and grieve their way across Europe in a fellowship that is not unlike those of "The Canterbury Tales." As they say, it is the journey and not the destination that is important, and not one of our pilgrims, least of all Gatty herself, is left unchanged by the experiences and trials they go through. Although I'm no expert on the subject, the book seems to be meticulously researched, and Holland has a gift of making medieval life seem real and immediate. One of the greatest challenges of writing historical-fiction is to not only make the past come to life, but to write in a way in which the differences between then and now are integrated into the story itself, and not presented to the reader as story-halting info-dumps. Holland expertly weaves the day-to-day life of the pilgrims into the narrative without alienating or confusing the reader. Gatty makes for a lovely young heroine. Although only a field-girl, she is impulsive, bright, compassionate and possesses an innate sense of wisdom and openness to the world around her that makes for several thought-provoking moments. She compares her journey to a story that contains several forever-unknown stories within it, referring to the people she meets or sees on her way, and on returning from her great pilgrimage and attempts to share her experiences with a friend she realizes that "no one is really quite as interested in us as we are in ourselves." Holland also gifts her with a beautiful singing voice that grows and develops at the same rate that she does, and has a solid grasp on her speech patterns that provide much of the charm of this book. All of it serves to make Gatty a living, breathing young woman and one of the most vivid characters I've come across in a long time. However, not all of Gatty's companions make it to the Holy Land; in fact most are abruptly dropped from the narrative, not from death, but other extenuating circumstances. Sadly, once they are gone

Many readers of Kevin Crossley-Holland's earlier novels may remember spunky field girl Gatty from his Arthur Trilogy, which blended together the legend of King Arthur with the quest of a young Crusader also named Arthur. In CROSSING TO PARADISE, Gatty gets her own story --- and reaches places her beloved Arthur never could. No one at Caldicot is quite sure what to do with 15-year-old Gatty. Alone in the world except for her cow, Hopeless, Gatty has been out of sorts ever since her beloved friend Arthur left for the Crusades. Sir Walter, Arthur's father, then learns that a Welsh widow, Lady Gwyneth de Ewloe, is looking for a chamber servant to accompany her and a small group of pilgrims to Jerusalem. At first, neither Gatty nor Lady Gwyneth is sure about this arrangement. As for the other pilgrims, most of them are certain that Lady Gwyneth has made a costly mistake by asking Gatty to accompany them from England through Europe and on to Jerusalem. Gatty is unpolished and ill-mannered, filthy and dressed at first in clothes of sackcloth. But even after a bath and a new dress, Gatty continues to be impulsive, reckless and entirely too bold to be a suitable young woman. But Gatty, who has the voice of an angel, gradually wins most members of the party over with her sweet songs and kind spirit. And, when tragedy hits, it is Gatty who leads the group to the fulfillment of its pilgrimage. By the time she returns home, she is not the same rough, shy field girl who left Caldicot. Her prospects for the future are bright, and she is no longer alone. Crossley-Holland has developed into one of the richest chroniclers of the Middle Ages. In his Arthur Trilogy, he explored the experience of a young man's coming of age during the Crusades. In CROSSING TO PARADISE, he examines the possibilities available to medieval women --- both high-born and lowly --- and the long road of medieval pilgrimage. CROSSING TO PARADISE is clearly inspired by Geoffrey Chaucer's THE CANTERBURY TALES, and his cast of characters --- which includes a noblewoman, a cook, a stableman, a merchant and a choirmaster --- provides numerous insights into medieval lifestyles. His account of pilgrimage is lively and realistic, with memorable forays into London, Venice and Jerusalem, with all their sights, sounds, smells and intrigues. Most memorable, however, is Gatty herself, whose combination of innocence, desire for justice and ability to turn experience into song make for a compelling, complicated heroine. At one point during their journey, Lady Gwyneth tells Gatty that each of the people they meet on their way has his or her own story and that "all the stories we step into become part of our own story. Our pilgrimage." Readers will relish the opportunity to accompany Gatty on her own pilgrimage, to make her rich story part of their own. --- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

Of all four lovely, lyrical books in this series, Gatty's Tale is the best. I was sucked in from the very first page. Crossley-Holland uses just the right words and none extra to give us Gatty's voice. Gatty goes to Jerusalem for herself--but also as proxy for the people she loves. The writing is personal and specific, and I felt that although she is a fictional character, she was proxy for me, the reader, as well. I read the previous review (where the reader couldn't resist, and read the last chapter first), and forced myself not to peek. But I was very satisfied with the ending when I got there! (And yet it still looks like there could be another book out of it.) Thank you, Mr. Crossley-Holland--well done!

I am so very pleased (at last) to read the further adventures of our beloved Gatty. I loved Arthur, but Gatty stole my heart. Kevin has outdone himself on this one. It is so believeable and filled with samples of Gatty's wisdom, like "One is one and..." It is wonderful to see her adventureousness and yet see a maturing young woman evolving. This book reveals one of Kevin's finest characters. It is the only book that I have ever read the last chapter first. I just had to know. I hope that the door is open for further adventures. The historical information is accurate and so generous in the story that we truly have an inside view of life in the Middle Ages. A wonderful read for any age.