ACHUKA Book of the Day 23 Jul 2026
PUBLISHED FIFTY YEARS AGO
“Unleaving remains on my list of most-admired novels for any audience. In its ambition, its narrative legerdemain, its euphoric prose, as well as its moral and intellectual sobriety, it has few competitors.” Gregory Maguire, 2017, Horn Book
A sequel to Goldengrove 1972.
A critically well-received young adult novel (often paired or published with its predecessor Goldengrove), set on the Cornish coast. It follows Madge Fielding, who inherits her grandmother’s house, Goldengrove, and hosts an Oxford philosophy reading party one summer. The story uses an innovative dual-timeline structure, alternating between Madge as a teenager and as an elderly grandmother (Gran) reflecting on the same events — with the two voices gradually revealing they are the same person.
My books do not really make up a coherent body of work to which I could write an introduction. I write about whatever I am fascinated by at the time, which makes each book different. My governing principle is to make whatever I am doing as simple and accessible as possible. I do that not merely to appeal to children, but as a point of honour – I think it pretentious to do anything else. But also my preferred subjects have lain in that large area of human experience that adults and children have in common. And the making of an adult statement about that common area that is transparent enough for children is endlessly challenging and interesting technically. The rewards and the discipline of writing for the young are very enriching.
Read Jon Appleton’s obituary of Jill in Books for Keeps:
https://booksforkeeps.co.uk/article/obituary-jill-paton-walsh/
A beautiful celebration of Jill Paton Walsh by Jon here for @BooksForKeeps – I knew that she and John had married but did not know the story of how they found each other.
For the record, Goldengrove & Unleaving is some of the finest Literature written https://t.co/LZ0H5TDm42 pic.twitter.com/jUEKzddgWr
— Mathew Tobin (@Mat_at_Brookes) March 18, 2022
Jill Paton Walsh is on my list of great children’s authors who, sadly, have slipped out of view. Also Robert Cormier and Betsy Byars.
— Michael Rosen 💙💙🎓🎓 NICE 爷爷 (@MichaelRosenYes) July 19, 2020
Jill Paton Walsh has died. Two of her books are among my favourite possessions – The Wordhoard and Fireweed. https://t.co/OR24cCVpSB
— Frank Cottrell-Boyce (@frankcottrell_b) October 19, 2020
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