Whistle Down the Wind: A Modern Fable

The first American edition of the well-known 1957 British novel is timed to coincide with the June opening of a Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber musical on Broadway. Abandoned by their mother, 10-year-old narrator Brambling (nicknamed Brat), 12-year-old Swallow and seven-year-old Merlin (known as Poor Baby) live on a farm in Sussex with their busy father and embarrassingly ""corny"" grandmother but are happily left to their own devices most of the time. One foggy day, Brat finds a sick, exhausted stranger in the barn, who repeats to her words inscribed in Swallow's prayerbook: ""Knock on the door and it shall be opened to you."" On this scanty evidence, the children swiftly identify the stranger as Jesus and form a Secret Society among themselves to hide and worship him. Meanwhile, an escaped convict has the countryside in an uproar. Simple prose full of British slang makes this religious story a quick read, with the characters, especially the children, cleanly delineated. Although there's never any question as to the stranger's true identity, some readers will find optimism and inspiration in the children's innocence and unwavering faith. Weber contributes a brief foreword, the author reminisces in an introduction and Oven Edwards has added unpretentious illustrations. (June) FYI: The author is married to actor Sir John Mills, and the 1961 film starred their daughter Hayley.