This was a very interesting book about the seige and fall of Constantinople. It is rare to find children's historical fiction about this event, and this book was very enjoyable.The author pulls you into the events around the coronation of the last Byzantine emperor by introducing a boy from England who wound up in the area after escaping from pirates who had kidnapped him. He is kept as a servant to the Emperor against his will. It is for his own protection, but it also serves to appease some of the superstitious in the community. The boy becomes a sort of good luck omen. He gradually comes to accept his circumstances and has a unique viewpoint of the events leading to the ultimate conquest of the city. Although the tone of the book is a bit gloomy (you know what will happen in the end,) the story is very engaging and the characters are very real. It is almost a coming-of-age story as well, as the young boy's life is changed and he grows up somewhat as he watches the people and events in the story.This book is probably for older teens because of some of the subject matter. We used it as a read-aloud for homeschool, and it was simple to skip over some of the more disturbing passages that another reviewer has mentioned.
The Emperor's Winding Sheet is about the siege and fall of Constantinople in 1453 where 7000 men held back what has been estimated between 80,000-200,000 soldiers for nearly 2 months. Told from the point of view of Vrethiki, it quickly draws the reader into the story of this strange kingdom, language, and customs. At first Vrethiki is terribly resentful and seething with anger that the Emperor would keep him as a servant against his will simply because of a prophesy. In time, he comes to love and respect all those around him, especially Constantine. The author did an excellent job of conveying Vrethiki's caged animal feelings as well as his growing admiration and love for Byzantium and the other characters in the siege. It was pretty intense at times, going into detail about what happened to the Christians who were caught during the siege and, while not saying it outright, did hint at a previous rape of Vrethiki at the hands of Muslim slavers. It's marketed as a Young Adult novel but I certainly enjoyed it too. However, I would recommend it to an older YA audience, especially those who are studying Medieval and Renaissance History.
Do You like book The Emperor's Winding Sheet (2004)?
I am quite fond of Paton Walsh's writing, and that carried me through this book, which is a good book full of things (battles, sieges, details of armour and weapons and religious ceremony) that I do not find terribly interesting. What I did like about it were the relationships, the main character's growth from child into young man, and the understanding he found of himself and his future at the very end. If I rated this upon how much I enjoyed it, only two stars, I think, but as a book itself it is certainly three, perhaps even more.
—Cassandra
