I believe one of the great benefits of historical fiction is to entice us to want to learn more about a specific event or time period in history that seemed either boring or unimportant to us, because we had no personal connection to it. I was caught up in the somewhat mystery, time-shifting element of this story. I acquired this book at a public library sale and am saddened to think that it was withdrawn from the library shelves. My children have read her Boggart series and King of Shadows. This is the first Susan Cooper book that I have personally read.

Highly recommended for ages 8+ - ***** 5 stars. Susan Cooper draws some well-thought-out characters to go alongside the likable Sam and Molly and writes with feeling and sensitivity about the themes of loss and loneliness, and re-adjustment for children. The lost and displaced Molly feels a connection to this boy Sam aboard the Victory, and sets her mind to finding out more about this famous ship. Told in two parts, we simultaneously have the story of Molly, a young girl in the present day uprooted to Connecticut from her friends, grandparents and everything she's ever known in London when her mum re-marries an American and we have the story of Sam, a young boy about the same age unwillingly press-ganged into serving aboard the HMS Victory in about 1803, a couple of years before The Battle of Trafalgar.

The historical elements are well-researched and she brings life aboard the ship vividly to life, skilfully linking present and past, making accessible to young readers a significant battle of modern naval history, The Battle of Trafalgar. Her writing is excellent - fluent and engaging, with just the right amount of words to tell the story at a good pace. It's heartening to see Susan Cooper return to prime form with this first-rate story of a boy's life aboard HMS Victory in Nelson's time. **First-rate children's historical fiction**

Victory by susan cooper summary