Escape to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key
"Escape to Witch Mountain" is a science fiction novel by Alexander Key that follows the adventures of two siblings, Tony and Tia, who possess unusual abilities: Tony has psychic powers, while Tia can communicate with animals and unlock doors mentally. After the death of their guardian, Granny Malone, they are sent to Hackett House, a home for troubled children, where they grapple with their identities and the origin of their powers. The narrative is fast-paced, utilizing short chapters and cliffhangers to maintain suspense.
The siblings discover a mysterious Star Box that holds clues about their past, leading them on a quest to learn about their origins and evade the sinister uncle, Lucas Deranian, who seeks to control them. Their journey reveals that they are not from Earth but are castaways from another planet. The novel blends elements of science fiction with themes of social realism, addressing issues such as prejudice and the struggles faced by children in orphanages. This unique combination sets "Escape to Witch Mountain" apart from traditional young adult science fiction and invites readers to reflect on deeper themes while enjoying an engaging adventure. The story gained further popularity through its adaptation into a Disney film in 1975, which helped introduce the narrative to a wider audience.
Escape to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key
First published: 1968; illustrated
Subjects: Family, social issues, and the supernatural
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Adventure tale and science fiction
Time of work: The late 1960’s
Recommended Ages: 10-13
Locale: A city in the Blue Ridge Mountains
Principal Characters:
Tony Malone , (later Castaway), a boy with psychic abilities who tries to take care of himself and his sister while finding out where they both came fromTia , Tony’s sister, who can open locks and communicate with animalsFather O’Day , a kindly priest who befriends and helps the two siblingsWinkie , Tia’s unusual catLucas Deranian , an evil man who pretends to be the children’s uncle and who wants to capture them because of their abilitiesWerner Karman , Deranian’s henchman
Form and Content
Escape to Witch Mountain is a fast-paced science-fiction novel filled with adventure. Except for the final section of the final chapter, the story is told in the third person but through Tony’s point of view. The reader sees the events through Tony’s eyes and is privy to his thoughts. The short chapters are subdivided into sections, and each chapter ends with some type of cliffhanger statement to keep the reader moving through the book. By doing so, Alexander Key keeps up the pace and suspense through the story. The novel, as first published, is also accompanied by line drawings by Leon B. Wisdom, Jr.
The story begins with Tony and Tia being sent to Hackett House after the woman with whom they have been living, Granny Malone, dies after an accident. Hackett House is a home for problem children, and Tony and Tia must carve out their place there. Neither of them is happy, for both have strange abilities that keep them apart from other children: Tony has psychic powers, and Tia can unlock doors and contact animals with her mind. In addition, Tia can communicate only with Tony, which makes things even more difficult. The two children want to find out where they have come from, and their only clue is the Star Box, a box with twin stars on it that Tia has always had with her.
The two siblings receive a clue about the box from a nun, but she dies before sending them any information. Then, Lucas Deranian arrives at the orphanage, claiming that he is their uncle; he arranges to become their guardian. Tia remembers that this man took them to live with Granny and that he is evil. The two run away and seek help from Father O’Day, a priest they heard of while living with Granny Malone. They tell Father O’Day everything, demonstrate their unusual abilities for him, and show him a map that Tia found in the Star Box. He arranges transportation for them to Stony Ridge, the place listed on the map.
Deranian shows up again, and the children leave without Father O’Day, taking the bus to their destination, with Deranian in pursuit. They are caught by a greedy sheriff but escape using their powers. While on the run, they remember more about their past. They know that they are castaways, that they escaped from someplace with their uncle but that he died. Eventually, they remember that they came from another planet. Tony and Tia are reunited with Father O’Day. With his help, they first thwart Deranian’s attempt to capture them and then find the rest of their people.
Critical Context
Escape to Witch Mountain probably became more famous, and more widely read, after it was made into a Walt Disney film in 1975. The motion picture Return from Witch Mountain (1978), once more featuring Tony and Tia, was more a sequel to this film version than to the original book. The written sequel was also based on the motion-picture sequel and not on the original book.
Escape to Witch Mountain is clearly science fiction, but it is also in some ways a work of social realism. The tenement situation and the dismal orphanage are real-world occurrences, even if many of the activities of Tony and Tia are not. The prejudice that the two children encounter is also part of the real world. This mixture of social realism, along with the contemporary setting, makes the book different from what is usually considered young adult science fiction, such as those works written by Andre Norton and Robert Heinlein. Placing the alien or the fantastic in the mundane world is Key’s way of showing the dark side of human nature. It is a theme that he pursued in other works as well, such as The Forgotten Door (1965), a winner of the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award. In other works, such as The Magic Meadow (1975) and Flight to the Lonesome Place (1971), his characters flee the hardships of society by escaping to magical places. This combination of the fantastic and the realistic makes Key’s stories thought-provoking as well as entertaining.