SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY
When Forrest learns about new prisoners in the tower of London, he is surprised to learn one is a young Scottish girl. He realizes she is an enemy to the English King, but as he gets to know her by bringing her food, he wonders if she's all bad.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Forrest takes care of the ravens and has spent his life behind the walls of the tower of the London. He dreams of adventures in foreign lands.
Rat or Ned, as he is named, works for the rat catcher in the tower. He, like Forrest, dreams of adventure. He is crucial to the plot as he assists in the climax. He also allows Forrest to show his likabilty by being able to admit to fault.
Maddy is a young Scottish girl, the daughter of a Jacobite, a rebel who fights to put James Stuart on the throne of England. At first she is guarded, only expressing her anger. But eventually she shares her love of her family and country.
Hugh Harper is Forrest's father and the Ravenmaster. He is sometimes stern and blunt.
Tuck the raven is Forrest's companion. He has trained him to do many tricks.
PACING
The first few chapters introduce Forrest and his family, as well as Forrest's feelings of not belonging. After that we meet Rat and his relationship to Forrest is established. We learn about the prisoners coming and they arrive by page forty-two.
The story doesn't jump right into action, but sets the scene for the reader, letting them understand the world they are entering and the motivations and feelings of the main character. The slightly slower pacing didn't bother me at all. After all, the story is not an action story, but more one of mystery and suspense.
A WOMAN'S JOB
When Forrest is told to hold his baby sister Bea, he is annoyed. He doesn't think he should have to do a woman's job. I was pleasantly surprised to see Forrest portrayed in a realistic way in keeping with his time. Woodruff must not have cared of offending anyone or making Forrest seem unlikable.
HARE HEART
In the first chapter, we learn that there is to be a hanging. It is considered to be a great event, a form of entertainment. There is food and music and a huge crowds. His father seems indifferent to the event, but reminds his son that his mother loves a hanging. But Forrest admits he finds it gruesome, and when the dreaded event occurs, he looks away. This causes other boys to taunt him and cause him “hare heart”.
This a reoccuring theme in the book, Forrest wanting to gain courage. He even says he wishes he was big like his father, instead of small like his mother.
MADDY'S GOD
When Forrest witnesses Maddy praying in the prison, he wonders if God knows that she is the enemy. I thought it was insightful to learn about Forrest's views that God must support the English in all of their endeavors. As if God is English or that the English are the only followers of Christ.
Woodruff does this multiple times in the book, jumping into Forrest's viewpoint that is shaped by his culture.
A WORLD BEYOND
Since Forrest has spent his whole life behind the tower walls, he dreams of a life beyond them. He daydreams of adventure and shares his desire with Ned. This desire softens him to Maddy as he inquires all about her homeland in Scotland.
A TOKEN FOR GOOD LUCK
The first time that Forrest takes a risk is when Maddy asks him to deliver a sprig to her father. It is the only scene where we see Maddy's father. We never see them together but I never doubted their love for each other.
The story doesn't dwell on it but it's clear that under her tough exterior, Maddy is scared and afraid for her father. Mostly, the scene serves to push Forrest towards taking action, he has made a choice: he is risking his life for her.
SAVING NED-SPOILERS
Less than halfway through the book, Ned gets given to Frick by his master, who recklessly bet him in a card game and lost. Forrest knows he has to save his friend, because Frick treats his slaves awful, and they get injured and ill. Maddy learns of his troubles and gives him her gold ring so he can sell it and buy Ned's freedom. But things get complicated when he loses it and when Frick refuses to set Ned free.
THE SCOTTISH RACE
After Forrest hears Maddy singing, he asks why she is there and learns it's treason. But she is young and seems innocent, so Forrest inquires if all Scots are bad people. His father says blood is blood and that they are all low-minded traitors who have no love for England.
It's only when Forrest asks if they foam at the mouth that his mother asks where he heard that. She points out that men inflame hatred in times of war. So she does provide a slight counter to her husband without being out of character for her time.
THREE FRIENDS
While the story is short, the relationship between these characters comes across as genuine. Forrest's only human friend is Rat, but he doesn't even know his real name. He is embarrased by this but is humbled many times, like when he admits there are expectations because of his father, but Rat is a no one. Rat forgives him and realizes the truth of his words. There desire for adventure seems silly but it ties them together.
Maddy starts out as tough and defensive, but slowly melts when she shares about her homeland and her family. She learns to care for not just Forrest, but Ned, who ends up willing to take risks for her.
TUCK'S TRICK
It's Forrest's job to take care of the ravens, and Tuck, the young crow will one day replace the older crow. Forrest spends time teaching him tricks but has never gotten him to speak. But a miracle happens when he depends on him the most, near the climax.
A FAILED ESCAPE-SPOILERS
When the prisoners are being transferred, they all attempt to escape but are killed, including Maddy's father. But Maddy alone is spared, as she is kept from running away. Instead she is sentenced to be executed by guillotine.
MADDY'S ESCAPE-SPOILERS
A plan is set in motion to free Maddy from prison so she can escape being executed. But things go wrong and Forrest has to be more involved than he expected. He ends up distracting them with the help of Tuck and with Ned then he manages to sneak Maddy out.
CLIMAX-SPOILERS
After Maddy escapes, she waits for her rescuer to take her home, but he never shows. Turns out he was late and instead of going to her hiding space, he went to retrieve her from the tower. Ned delivers him to her but accidentally brings an unwelcome guest. With the help of Tuck they escape the intruder. Forrest makes a decision about his future.
EPILOGUE
Forrest has grown up, replaced his father as Ravenmaster of the tower and married and had has children. He recieves a letter from Ned and learns about him as well as Maddy. Turns out that Forrest named his daughter Maddy and Ned got his wish: he had plenty of adventures; He became a captain in the British Navy.
CONCLUSION
Woodruff manages to create a world that accurately depicts a time period of racism and sexism, without making us dislike the characters who live in it. She merely shows how it is, not that it's right or fair. She doesn't step in the story herself to lecture Forrest for his desire to be free from babysitting or Harper for thinking racist thougts towards the Scots.
Forrest, Ned and Maddy are all likable characters with arcs. Forrest develops courage to risk his life for another (while realizing his dream has changed), Ned gains courage as well, and while Maddy no doubt has her own hatred of the English, learns to be friends with two English boys and stand strong under the threat of death.
The climax is full of suspense and even some action. Although I appreciated Forrest having to come to a conclusion about his dream, the choice he made wasn't surprising to me. And Tuck managing to perform a brand new trick did feel very lucky.
I enjoyed the epilogue sharing a rare ending, one where the characters were happy merely to live and be free.
I give “The Ravenmaster's Secret” four stars.
