A Kestrel for a Knave

Day 21 - #3Books #ThatMadeMeMad

A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines
Billy Casper, finds a wild kestrel which brings a spark of joy into his life. But the ending is heartbreaking.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
The Glass Castle is first & foremost a horrific story of neglected and confused children.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The abuse of power in the false accusation and terribly unjust treatment of a black man in 1930s Alabama.

Ruthiella The Glass Castle will be on my list for the same reasons. 4y

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veritysalter

A Kestrel for a Knave | Barry Hines

@BarbaraBB Here is a book local to me, although set in my parent‘s generation. Billy Casper is a young boy in a small Yorkshire town with little prospect of achieving anything in life, he like so many others will go to work in the coal mines. Billy finds love and companionship with a kestrel, he names Kes, but he soon learns that he has allowed his dreams to fly too high. #ThinkLocalGiveAway

BarbaraBB Oh wow this is one of the #1001books to read before you die list! Thanks for entering 💕 4y

veritysalter @BarbaraBB There‘s an excellent film adaptation too. 4y

BarbaraBB It looks really good! 4y

LeahBergen On my to buy list! 👍🏻 4y

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veritysalter

A Kestrel for a Knave | Barry Hines

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I‘m not sure how well this book is known outside of the Yorkshire; but it‘s set in the town I grew up in. I watched a fabulous documentary on it on the BBC today. Set in the 1960s, Billy Casper has no prospects beyond a life working down the local coal mine, one day he finds a Kestrel chick, Kes, finally he has a purpose, but he can‘t hold off his fate forever.

batsy Nice review. I have it stacked because of @andrew61 and I also want to watch the Ken Loach film. 4y

veritysalter My parents had just started dating when the Ken Loach film came out; my Dad took my Mum to the cinema to see it. He told her that it portrayed his family life exactly (less the Kestrel), same type of house, the exact same school, he knew lots of the people in it, as Ken Loach cast locals, my Mum said he never knew how close she was to dumping him! 4y

veritysalter I have a sneaky stalk of @andrew61 ‘s page and followed, I think he‘s quite local to me. 4y

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LeahBergen I‘ve had this stacked (like @batsy ) and have been meaning to read it for years. 4y

batsy @veritysalter Aww, I'm so glad she didn't 😆 That is so cool about your dad's experiences and the Loach film; I've read about him casting locals and I love that approach to filmmaking. 4y

andrew61 @veritysalter think im on the other side of the pennines but with lots of connections to Yorkshire. You have some great books on your thread so look forward to seeing your posts. One of those books where i couldn't choose between book or film both brilliant. 4y

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andrew61

A Kestrel for a Knave | Barry Hines

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Oh i love this book - Billy Casper is a wonderful character, a child who grows up in poverty with a hopeless mother + violent brother, a misfit @ school he finds hope in training a kestrel ( this brilliantly mirrors H is for hawk & how therapeutic the birds magnificence and flight ). If you haven't seen the film please watch it (bookends i Daniel blake) but if you've seen the film rd the book, laugh out loud funny + heartbreaking.5* #LitsyClasics

Aimeesue The film was very, very good. I've not read the book yet. Onto the towering TBR pile it goes! 6y

andrew61 @Aimeesue i hope you enjoy if you get to it but it is a very quick read. 6y

EadieB I loved that book when I read it. 6y

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andrew61

A Kestrel for a Knave | Barry Hines

For those who do not know the film Kes, this is the start of one of the best scenes in cinema history as Brian Glover the p.e teacher acts out his fantasy football game in a freezing Yorkshire school field, but lord the book is wonderful as i was laughing out loud but then the next scene is heartbreaking. I can't stop reading it but don't want it to end. Loving it #LitsyClassics K.

LeahBergen This sounds wonderful. Stacked! 6y

charl08 Had to read this in school: great book ruined. 6y

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