The Wind Rises (Alma #1)

by Timothée de Fombelle (Author) François Place (Illustrator)

The Wind Rises (Alma #1)
Reading Level: 6th − 7th Grade
Series: Alma

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.

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Kirkus

A well-written series opener uncomfortably built upon real historical tragedies. 

ALA/Booklist

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.

Publishers Weekly

Starred Review

Two vividly wrought parallel stories, set in the 18th century, intertwine in this gripping historical adventure, a series opener by de Fombelle (Vango). Thirteen-year-old Alma lives in Isaya, a fictional secluded West African valley, with her brothers, Lam and Soum; their mother, Nao; and their father, Mosi. The reason for their isolation is unknown to the children, who have never been outside the valley, but Alma, believing that "even in paradise, you have to tell stories and create imaginary worlds for children," weaves tales for Lam about the world "over there." Curious and wanting to witness "over there" for himself, Lam disappears, prompting Alma and Mosi to go searching for him. Meanwhile, 14-year-old Joseph Mars, a white orphan who hails from Lisbon, boards the Sweet Amelie, a ship captained by despicable Lazarus Gardel, who plans to "bring back captives from Africa." As the Amelie makes port and Alma leaves her valley for the first time, Alma and Joseph's lives converge. Place's (The Last Giants) intricate b&w line art skillfully portrays the siblings' joyful adventures, powerfully contrasting Joseph's harrowing experiences aboard Gardel's ship. De Fombelle uses richly detailed, consistently engaging prose, suspenseful atmosphere, and a complex cast to deliver an action-packed tale about heartbreak and resilience. Ages 8-12. (Aug.)

Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7--Mystery is on every page of this fantasy that has some touches of historical fiction. The novel opens with a family in a unique world that is full of peace, joy, and happiness. As more is shared about the family of two loving parents and three children, readers become aware that the parents are hiding something incredibly important to the safety of the entire family. When one member goes missing, others slowly disappear as they leave to search, slipping from this nearly magical world to one that will seem more familiar. The author begins to introduce new characters and settings that are seemingly unrelated to the previous plot. The story becomes more complex as readers are left to manage all the disparate characters. As the novel concludes, de Fombelle weaves all the story lines into a riveting series debut that borders on transcendent. VERDICT This ambitious novel explores many challenging concepts such as family, humanity, and slavery with honesty.--Jennifer Seebauer

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Praise for The Wind Rises

"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)

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781609457877
Lexile Measure
730
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Europa Editions
Publication date
August 16, 2022
Series
Alma
BISAC categories
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV011010 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - African-American
JUV016010 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | Africa
JUV013070 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Siblings
JUV001020 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure | Pirates
JUV030010 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | Africa
JUV016050 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | Exploration & Discovery
JUV030040 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | Caribbean & Latin America
Library of Congress categories
Slavery
Caribbean Area
Historical fiction
18th century
Africa, West
Slave trade
Child slaves

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