A String in the Harp by Nancy Bond
"A String in the Harp," by Nancy Bond, is a young adult novel that follows the Morgan family as they navigate their lives in Wales after relocating from Massachusetts. The story unfolds in the wake of the family's tragic loss of their mother, causing each member to cope with their grief in different ways. The narrative primarily focuses on twelve-year-old Peter, who is resistant to the move and longs to return to his familiar life. The plot takes a fantastical turn when Peter discovers a harp-tuning key that belonged to the sixth-century bard Taliesin, allowing him to experience scenes from the bard's life and intertwining the present with ancient Welsh legends.
As Peter becomes engrossed in this historical connection, his relationships with his sisters Jennifer and Becky are challenged. While Becky adapts to their new surroundings and builds friendships with local children, Peter's obsession with the past leads him to withdraw further from his family. The novel explores themes of familial bonds, the impact of history on the present, and the magic of folklore. Bond's inclusion of authentic Welsh elements and her deep appreciation for the landscape enrich the narrative, making it not just a story of personal growth but also a celebration of cultural heritage. Recognized as a Newbery Honor Book, "A String in the Harp" offers readers a captivating blend of contemporary issues and timeless mythology.
Subject Terms
A String in the Harp by Nancy Bond
First published: 1976
Subjects: Death, family, nature, and the supernatural
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Domestic realism and fantasy
Time of work: The early 1970’s
Recommended Ages: 10-15
Locale: A small Welsh village
Principal Characters:
Peter Morgan , an American boy spending a year in a Welsh village while his father teaches at the University of WalesJennifer Morgan , Peter’s older sisterBecky Morgan , Peter’s younger sisterDavid Morgan , the father of Peter, Jennifer, and BeckyGwilym , the Morgans’ Welsh neighborRhian , a Welsh girlDr. Rhys , a colleague of David Morgan at the University of WalesDr. Owen , a curator at the National Museum of Wales
Form and Content
The Morgan family has moved from Massachusetts to Wales for a year while the father teaches at the University of Wales. The family is recovering from the tragic death of the mother in an automobile accident. When the story opens, David Morgan is immersed in his work, twelve-year-old Peter is unhappy and withdrawn, ten-year-old Becky is doing her best to adjust, and sixteen-year-old Jennifer, who has stayed be-hind in Massachusetts to finish high school, is just arriving for her Christmas vacation.
The narration is in the third person, with some chapters from Jennifer’s point of view and some from Peter’s. Jennifer’s concerns are keeping the family together, learning responsibility, and realizing that adults do not have all the answers. Peter is bitterly unhappy with the year in Wales and hopes that Jennifer will be able to persuade their father to leave. Becky, the youngest child, has adapted to life in this new country, but she desperately wants the family to work smoothly.
A String in the Harp changes from a simple contemporary problem-solving novel into a time-shift fantasy when Peter finds a strange object on the beach. The object turns out to be a harp-tuning key that once belonged to the sixth-century Welsh bard Taliesin. It has the power to show Peter scenes from Taliesin’s life. As Peter becomes immersed in the ancient legends that the key makes real for him, his discontent gives way to involvement in Welsh folklore and natural history. Unfortunately, he withdraws even more from the family and the present. His sisters learn about the key as time begins to shift in weird cross-overs between the present and the sixth century. Peter finds remnants of an ancient sea dike, and then a severe rainstorm in the present merges with the legendary flooding of the Low Hundred. Later, contemporary sheep farmers hunt and kill a wolf, an animal long extinct in Wales.
The Morgans learn from the Welsh characters. Becky strikes up friendships with Gwilym, a shy boy who has much local knowledge of natural history, and Rhian, a cheerful girl whose farm family is in touch with the land and its legends. Dr. Rhys, a scholar of Welsh language and folklore, and Dr. Owen, who is curator of the National Museum, contribute to the children’s knowledge of ancient history and artifacts.
By the end of the story, the members of the Morgan family have all come together to answer some important questions: Why has Peter been chosen to find the key? What should he do with it? What is magic? How does the past influence the present? While working out the mysteries of the key, they have learned to talk to one another and to live together. They have also learned to appreciate the Welsh country, its natural history and folklore.
Nancy Bond lends authenticity to the novel by including an author’s note about the bard Taliesin and the Welsh landscape and a map of the part of Wales where the events of the novel, both ancient and contemporary, occur.
Critical Context
A String in the Harp is a time-shift novel in the tradition of C. S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1950). In both books, three children on their own in the country slip into another time. Time merges in simultaneous layers as events occur in the same place in different times. Folklore comes alive as the old songs and legends become real for the children. A String in the Harp is a fine rainy day book in which young readers can lose themselves. Both stories, that of Taliesin and of the Morgans, are engrossing. The outcome, what Peter will do with the key, is in doubt until the final pages, adding suspense to the tale.
Nancy Bond studied at the College of Librarianship in Wales and has written a novel that expresses her love for the setting, its folklore and its natural history. A String in the Harp is a long novel, with space for developing minor characters and themes along with the rich local color. The story of the modern family is fully developed, with the time-shifts so skillfully woven in that the fantasy of the past coming alive is easy to accept.
A String in the Harp, Bond’s first young adult novel, was named a Newbery Honor Book. She is respected for writing sensitive, original books that portray realistic characters who deal with serious life issues, as well as for novels that emphasize colorful settings.