The Wind Tamer
by P. R. Morrison
Archie Stringweed's tenth birthday brings yet another mysterious parcel from his Uncle Rufus that he's not allowed to open - but this time it also brings Uncle Rufus himself, who has the answers to all of Archie's questions. Uncle Rufus knows why the wind has been talking to Archie, and the meaning of the ghostly green lights that have been following him. For there is a terrible curse that hangs over the Stringweeds, and Archie is the only one who can break it ... before it breaks his courage forever.
This is in many ways an exciting adventure story, though for me the characterisation let things down, with too much focus on the adult characters and not enough on Archie himself. Also, something about the story's central premise - a curse which has sapped a family of its courage for centuries - didn't quite work for me; though again this might come down to the characterisation, as I found Archie's parents both fairly unlikeable, particularly his mum. (The revelation at the end which explained why she had been acting so horribly throughout the book didn't make me like her any better!) I would also love to have had more made of the story's Orkney setting; this could have added real richness and depth.
Still, even with these quibbles, this is a magical, unusual story, sure to find a market with readers of around nine and older. Archie's struggle against a cursed tornado that rises from the sea, with only a handful of family relics to save him, is a scene that lingers long in the mind.
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