The Wind Rises - (Alma) by Timothée de Fombelle (Hardcover)

About the Book

It is 1786. Isolated from the rest of the world, thirteen-year-old Alma lives with her family in a lush African valley. She spends her days exploring their blissful homeland. But everything changes when her little brother finds a secret way out of the valley. Alma sets out to find him, but she soon must face terrible dangers in a continent ravaged by the slave trade. The journey to bring her brother home becomes a harrowing adventure to save herself, her family, and the memory of her people. Meanwhile, in Lisbon, Joseph Mars, an orphan turned petty thief devises a great plan to land himself aboard a slave ship, The Sweet Amelie, on the ultimate quest: to find a pirate's treasure in the far reaches of the Caribbean. But as time passes, he learns he's not alone in his hunger for the treasure, which forces him to rethink the true purpose of his presence aboard The Sweet Amelie.

Book Synopsis

FROM THE BESTSELLING WINNER OF THE PRIX SORCIÈRES

From Europe to Africa to the Caribbean, this first installment in the Alma trilogy tells a gripping story of hope, perseverance, and love that readers will not soon forget.

1786. Isolated from the rest of the world, thirteen-year-old Alma lives with her family in a lush African valley. She spends her days exploring their blissful homeland. But everything changes when her little brother finds a secret way out of the valley.

Alma sets out to find him, but she soon must face terrible dangers in a continent ravaged by the slave trade. The journey to bring her brother home becomes a harrowing adventure to save herself, her family, and the memory of her people.

Meanwhile, in Lisbon, Joseph Mars, an orphan turned petty thief devises a great plan to land himself aboard a slave ship, The Sweet Amelie, on the ultimate quest--to find a pirate's treasure in the far reaches of the Caribbean. But as time passes, he learns he is not alone in his hunger for the treasure, which forces Joseph to rethink the true purpose of his presence aboard The Sweet Amelie.

The destinies of a large cast of characters, including Alma and Joseph, become intertwined both on land and at sea in this unforgettable adventure of resilience and compassion as de Fombelle quietly elucidates the slave trade and the infamous Middle Passage for middle grade and YA readers.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Wind Rises

★ "De Fombelle uses richly detailed, consistently engaging prose, suspenseful atmosphere, and a complex cast to deliver an action-packed tale about heartbreak and resilience."--Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

★ "Art and text conspire to create a brilliantly formed and unforgettable world of action, adventure, and, in its gritty depiction of the treatment of the soon-to-be enslaved, heartbreaking realism."--Booklist (Starred Review)

"Fombelle seamlessly narrates a compelling tale of understanding and solidarity ideal for advanced readers...Fombelle does not omit the inhumane brandings, punishments, and remorseless treatment of the enslaved individuals, making this title a strong fiction companion to social studies units on enslaved Africans."--School Library Journal

"To some extent, the routine features of the adventure are in tension with the particular sorrows of the kidnapped...De Fombelle recognizes many of these agonies, and his succinct and devastating explanations of the customs of the slave trade powerfully animate the facts."--New York Times Book Review

"An intimate look at the consequences of slavery on a personal level brings the painful episode directly to the reader and demands engagement. A good tale with a real moral. This should find its proper place in educational environments and library reading programs as well as the shelves of book lovers of all ages."--Reading the West

"This expertly plotted, thrilling adventure offers many surprising twists and leaves the reader eagerly awaiting the next installment. The marvelous gray-scale illustrations by François Place add much to the tale."--Buffalo News

"In this debut title of a planned trilogy, de Fombelle's intricate plotting, virtuosic pacing, and Dickensian cast of sharply individuated characters propel readers into the dank corners of the triangle trade."--Bulletin of The Center for Children's Books

"Engrossing, propulsive, and full of dazzling images and unforgettable characters...it has all the ingredients of a masterpiece."--Télérama

"Epic...The Wind Rises proves that Timothée de Fombelle belongs with the very great."--ELLE Magazine (France)

"A fantastic adventure that is also an accurate depiction of the barbarity of slavery. A major achievement."--Ouest France

"Luminous...sheds light on the violence inherent in American society."--AcuaLitté

"Mixes the historical and the romantic in a dark whirlwind."--Public Senat

Praise for Timothée de Fombelle

"De Fombelle writes minimally for maximum effect...packs a punch."--The Times (UK) on Captain Rosalie

★ "Beautiful writing, intricate plotting, and breathless reveals."--Kirkus Reviews on Vango (Starred Review)