Pigeon Post

Arthur Ransome started this series in a straightforward way, with a bunch of children holidaying in the Lake District, all keen on sailing and adventures. OK, in [b:Swallows and Amazons 6903112 Swallows and Amazons Arthur Ransome https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1290475998l/6903112.SY75.jpg 231599] they sailed and had adventures. One might have expected the series to continue with more of the same. But he seemed desperate to avoid repeating himself, so the subsequent books either left the Lake District or mostly avoided the subject of sailing, despite the fact that his characters remained keen on both.These efforts to change the subject were sometimes very successful and sometimes not, and this novel is one of the less successful ones, in which they all decide to go mining for gold in the hills of the Lake District—a fairly hopeless endeavour, and not one that they seem to enjoy very much.It's not a bad story, and it has its moments. In particular, it ends quite well. But much of the story is frankly a bit dreary compared with other books in the series, and on rereading I sometimes skip over parts of it. It provides the background to [b:The Picts and the Martyrs 2356409 The Picts and the Martyrs Arthur Ransome https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328278674l/2356409.SY75.jpg 2363175], which is a much better story, the climax of the series. You can read [b:The Picts and the Martyrs 2356409 The Picts and the Martyrs Arthur Ransome https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328278674l/2356409.SY75.jpg 2363175] without having read this, but then you won't fully understand who Timothy is or what he's been doing.