Astercote by Penelope Lively was first published in 1970. It was aimed at young teenagers – probably, but is good for any age.
Sister and brother Mair and Peter Jenkins are living in Charlton Underwood, a Cotswolds village. They’ve moved there recently as their father has taken up a teaching post, so it’s all new to them. When their dog runs off into the woods they chase after him, although they’ve been told not to go into the woods.
That’s when they discover that the woodland had once been a village. The children discover that the Black Death had overcome Astercote and the area has been completely taken over by nature, but you can still see some of the cottage ruins. It’s all slightly spooky, or maybe just atmospheric. Events take a strange turn when some of the locals get ill and are convinced that the Black Death has returned.
This one wasn’t quite what I expected, for some reason I had assumed that it was going to be historical fiction, but I enjoyed it.
Oh, I wish I’d realised this was 1970! I haven’t read it for decades, but I love her slightly spooky tales for young people!!!!
kaggsysbookishramblings,
I really like Penelope Lively’s writing, for whatever age. I must admit that I didn’t realise she had written quite so many!
I read several of her books but not for a very long time! This sounds worth finding again.
I suspect that when I first found her at the library, I had confused Penelope Farmer and Penelope Lively, but must have decided to go on reading both of them!
Constance,
I get mixed up with all the Penelopes – Mortimer, Fitzgerald and Lively. I don’t know of Penelope Farmer though. The writer John Mortimer married two Penelopes!!