Spanish / Spain
El secreto de Enola
(Enola’s secret)
Hernández Chambers, Daniel
(text)
Heras, David de las
(illus.)
[Zaragoza]: Edelvives, 2017. – 140 p.
(Series: Ala Delta; Serie verde; 103)
ISBN 978-84-140-0483-8
Secret | Love | Friendship | World War II (1939-1945)
Reading age: 10+
White Ravens issue: 2017
Sandgate, England, 1989. In the chimney of his neighbour Enola’s house, Ralph discovers a dove skeleton and a note with an encoded message. Uncovering the origin and meaning of the mysterious lines takes him back in time. It was a carrier pigeon, and its message came from Enola’s first love, Norman, who hastily left England fifty years earlier but wanted Enola to join him in France. Because his missive never arrived, Enola waited decades in vain for a sign of life from him. Other plot threads weave around the book’s core story, forming a coherent picture of Ralph, who is about twelve years old. Daniel Hernández Chambers tells the story in short sections that contain no unnecessary baggage, moving it fluidly and effortlessly forward. The protagonist and the other characters are portrayed in a lively and persuasive way. Carpe diem, live in the moment – this is the rule to live by that the boy learns from the old lady.