Hope In The Dark

In Darkling Wood by Emma Carroll is a wonderful children’s dual timeline novel that will enchant the reader. It is perfect for ages ten and over.

The novel is set in present day and 1918 in the form of a series of letters. In both time periods there are sisters waiting for news of brothers – one is at war, the other in hospital. It is a tense time as the waiting seems to take an eternity.

Darkling Wood unites both time periods as the characters live in the same house united by their bloodline. Darkling Wood is rumored to be inhabited by fairies – but surely that cannot be true.

We witness the difficulty of fitting into a new school as one’s peers seem to be a close-knit group. A bond formed with a like-minded character helps to sustain.