Escape to the River Sea

Author Emma Carroll, Eva Ibbotson
Narrator Katherine Press
Publisher Pan Macmillan
Run Time 6 hours
Format Audio
Genre Children’s / Teenage fiction: Action and adventure stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Classic fiction, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Historical fiction.

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What to expect

Beautiful and full of adventure, Escape to the River Sea is Emma Carroll's compelling novel inspired by Eva Ibbotson's bestselling, classic masterpiece, Journey to the River Sea.

'Unputdownable storytelling. I loved it.' - Hilary McKay, Costa Award-winning author of The Skylark's War

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.

Critics Review

Richly imagined and packed with adventure Escape to the River Sea is Carroll’s finest novel to date
Editor's Choice, The Bookseller
A book that is as thrilling, adventurous and exhilarating as the Amazon itself. This glorious story has been woven together by a master-storyteller. I’m in awe.
Lisa Thompson
Lively, skilled storytelling
Sunday Times
Emma Carroll’s Escape to the River Sea is not only a joyously animal-packed adventure story, but also a mesmerising evocation of the original Journey to the River Sea. Brave, lonely Rosa, who might well have stepped out of an Eva Ibbotson book, takes us with her to find new friends and old, and also to experience the traditions, people and fragility of the gorgeous, perilous River Sea world.

This is unputdownable story telling. I loved it.
Hilary McKay
All the magic, heart and scope of Ibbotson’s classic adventure – I read it in one breathless sitting
Natasha Farrant, Costa Award-winning author of Voyage of the Sparrowhawk
What a joy it is to return to the River Sea! Emma Carroll’s thoughtful tribute to Eva Ibbotson’s much-loved classic is perfectly pitched. Full of glorious adventure, it’s a true delight.
Katherine Woodfine
Carroll has created something truly magical and seeming impossible – a book that is both the perfect follow-up to Ibbotson’s classic, and yet entirely original. Rich, beautiful and compelling – I read it in one go. Absolutely brilliant.
Katya Balen
Likeable (and very unlikeable characters) with depth of personality, engaging personal journeys, a beautiful setting and heart-stopping adventure come together to create a captivating story. So often, teachers ask for recommendations for books to accompany an Amazon, South American or Jungle topic. Escape to the River Sea will now be at the top of my suggestion list. A modern story with a classic feel, it takes children deep into the rainforest, surrounding them with the hum of life that can only be found there.
https://scopeforimagination.co.uk
Children’s Book of the Week – 5th June
The Sunday Times
Heartwarming, atmospheric and full of magic – Book of the Week
The Week Junior
Escape To The River Sea weaves together the hopes and fears of a young girl, giving a fascinating insight into the life of the indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest. It takes the reader on a colourful and thrill-packed journey, as Rosa and her young friends battle to thwart the bad guys. The book pays fitting homage to the late Eva Ibbotson, whose own work and life inspired this story.
Associated Press
It’s a joy to rediscover Ibbotson’s original characters Maia and Finn alongside a new generation in this gripping adventure
The Daily Mail

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