When I tell you that the subject of Leona Francombe's debut novel, The Sage of Waterloo (#504) is about a white rabbit named William living on the grounds of the ruined Belgian chateau Hougomont Farm who reflects on the lessons to be learned from the Battle of Waterloo fought on this very soil June 18, 1815, you might be ready to move right along to the next book. But I found this to be one of the most interesting and unique perspectives on those events of two hundred years ago, and well worth the time spent with this slim volume.
William is not like the other rabbits in the hutch at Hougomont. None of them are white, nor do they share his great-grandmother's gifts as an oracle. He can dimly see the shadows that she occasionally sees around the grounds near the night of the full moon. Old Lavender has kept the events of the Battle of Waterloo alive in the memory of the rabbits by countless retellings of the stories of soldiers who fought and died there. It's magical the way Ms. Francombe has managed to present the reader with brief anecdotes that bring that day alive in a way that all the modern day re-enactors never could.
Highly recommended for anyone who has the slightest interest in the Battle of Waterloo, or who remembers reading Watership Down with great pleasure. Try something different for a change!
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