"Flambards" by KM Peyton

What is Flambards about?

Flambards is a classic British YA novel that takes place in England during the 1900's. It tells the story of a young girl who is uprooted and sent to live with her opulent, abusive, miserable and harsh Uncle Russell and his two sons William and Mark. Flambards is the name of the estate in which the Russells inhabit in Essex, England. Unlike the gentle, kind, sensitive and passionate flyer William, Mark is a narcissistic, drunken and abusive young man who is overly passionate about hunting and horses.

As 12-year-old Christina Parsons settles in the white-washed estate, she discovers her love for horse riding and her cousin William. The 15-year-old gentle, manly, mature, hard-working and polite servant Dick teaches Christina how to horseback ride, and then Christina develops a meaningful relationship with one of the horses named Sweetbriar, which was the horse she learned to ride on. Mark continues to ride horses and compete in horse races throughout the story.

Over time, William outgrows and loses interest in hunting, after he was injured in the hunting accident, which occured in the beginning of the novel. Instead, he chooses to pursue aviation and flying and Uncle Russell doesn't approve of this particular hobby; Uncle Russell pushes him to pursue hunting, even though he is no longer willing to continue. Christina slowly gets to know him and they eventually become close as the story continues. That being said, Christina still enjoys riding and being around horses. At the end of the story, William and Christina manage to escape the drama and abuse at Flambards and start a brand new life of their own.

Why did I like Flambards?

I've read Flambards twice, and I've nothing different to say and think about it. It's a phenomal, emotional, engaging and inspiring story that emphasizes on common themes such as resilience and friendship. I've so much to relate to when it comes to the story, since many major parts of my life revolve around being resilient, keeping and maintaining important friendships.

Flambards is just like many of the classic novels I've read in my life; many of the characters in the story have a bad beginning and a happy ending. They either lose a parent, endure abuse from a family member, become neglected or bullied, and then they end up making the best of their lives and experiencing things that eventually build their resilience, courage and positivity. Examples of moments they have are falling in love and getting married, making a friend, becoming a writer or pursuing a hobby that they refuse to quit for the remainder of the story. Reading Flambards made me refer back to some scenes and elements from books like Anne of Green Gables and continued motivating me to keep thriving. Life is not meant to be "easy as a piece of cake", and we have the ability to improve our lives.

Who do I recommend Flambards to?

Although Flambards can be read by people of all ages and genders, I personally recommend it for young girls and women who have a penchant for classic novels that take place in England during the 1900's and later. Avid horse riders and lovers would also benefit from reading this novel.

The book is not too complicated and not too simple; it is also suitable for readers who don't enjoy books with intense language or a heap of pages. It is a quick read that can take readers from 3 days to 4 weeks, depending on each persons reading speed.

Where can you purchase Flambards?

Depending on where you reside, Flambards is a tricky one to find in many bookstores. It is simple to find, download and/or purchase online on Amazon or select thrift bookstores, but can be quite challenging to find, borrow and/or purchase at local libraries and bookstore chains like Indigo, Chapters and Barnes and Noble. It is not a very popular or common book that many people have read, so it’s not very likely that it would be sold to buy inside the store. However, places like second-hand bookshops like BMV Books in Toronto, Canada have sold or do sell the odd copy of Flambards that readers are free to purchase for a low price. I got my first copy at BMV Books a couple years ago, and then another copy online at Indigo that I purchased for delivery.

Here is a link that you can click on, if you're interested in reading and/or purchasing both the manual and e-Book editions of Flambards.

The rating of Flambards

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