On the Wasteland
| Industry | Publishing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
| Products | Books |
On the Wasteland is a 1975 children's novel authored by Scottish writer Ruth M. Arthur, featuring illustrations by Margery Gill. It was released by Victor Gollancz in the United Kingdom and Atheneum Books in the United States. The narrative is set in Suffolk, England, and delves into the interplay between historical and contemporary times through the perspective of an adolescent girl.
Summary
After becoming an orphan at age six, Betony relocates from the Scottish border region to Suffolk, the land tied to her maternal lineage. Having grown up in a children's home, she begins to explore the surrounding landscape connected to her family roots. Through intense time slip episodes, Betony uncovers ancestral stories she yearns to understand but risks losing her sense of self in the process. Supported by her guardian and friends, she weaves together these elements from past and present to embark on a renewed path forward.
Plot
Living at Brackenbury Children's Home, Betony’s strong-willed personality earns her the nickname 'Gypsy.' Feeling detached from other children, she spends time exploring nearby salt marshes known as the 'Wasteland.' During one exploration, she unearths a wooden relic associated with a Viking ship that once sailed when the North Sea extended inland. This discovery triggers vivid sensory experiences of Viking existence, including being bound aboard a ship during Danish Viking raids in East Anglia.
Her interest intensifies as she researches local history and imagines Vikings evolving from marauders to merchants alongside Saxon settlers. The wooden shard allows her to relive battles and encampments with full sensory immersion and language understanding. Betony inhabits the life of Estrith, an ancestor engaged to Edmund in a union aimed at fostering peace between their peoples.
Meanwhile, Betony forms friendships with locals Yetty and Nott, whose boathouse suffers arson. Through Yetty’s employer Carrie Thorpe, Betony secures work at the manor where she thrives academically and meets Lionel. After experiencing a traumatic event linked to Estrith’s tale, Betony nearly drowns but is rescued by Orlando. She then destroys the wooden fragment to end her time-slip episodes and concentrate on her current life.
Betony’s bond with Linney grows as they involve an archaeologist in searching for the buried Viking ship—though without success. Undaunted, Betony dedicates herself to studying history with an emphasis on the Saxon-Viking era, aspiring to educate others about this period professionally.
Major characters
Betony Craig, the main character; an orphan descended from Vikings who settled in Suffolk.
Sally Craig, Betony's mother who cared for her after her father’s death but passed away during childbirth when Betony was six.
Betony's Maternal great-grandfather, a direct Viking descendant who once owned a family ring later transformed into earrings for Betony.
Sparks, Betony's dog who is permitted at Brackenbury despite regulations, offering early companionship and later protection.
Yvette (Yetty) Nott, a part-time housekeeper at the manor and close friend of Betony; she lived with her husband for thirty years in an overturned boat near the tidal pool.
Adam Nott (Nott), Yetty's husband, a former Navy man wounded in WWII who works as a water diviner; he dies after falling ill during recovery.
Orlando Frisby (Orrie), an adopted young black man and son of a mussel fisherman, older than Betony; after local boys burn down his boathouse, he focuses on gardening duties at the manor.
Lionel Thorpe (Linney), Carrie Thorpe’s favored grandson and Betony’s contemporary, also drawn to exploring the Wasteland.
Estrith, daughter of a chieftain whose life Betony experiences through time slips.
Thorkell, Estrith's brother and Viking leader striving for peace with neighboring Saxons.
Minor characters
- Betony’s father, a Scottish fisherman who perished at sea during her infancy.
- Sally’s maternal grandmother, who brought her up near the salt marshes.
- Jacko, a metalworker and Sally’s partner, who returned Betony to Suffolk following Sally’s passing.
- Miss Lib, an educator at Brackenbury who initially discovered Betony; she relocated shortly afterward.
- Miss John, the headmistress of Brackenbury, known for her firm yet compassionate nature.
- Carrie Thorpe, widow of George Thorpe, the local landed family head; she employs Yetty and acts as Betony’s guardian. The Thorpe family owns the Wasteland.
- Selina, the girlfriend of Orlando.
- Red Cole and Bob Cole, sons of recent settlers engaged in mussel fishing, recognized for their boldness.
- Emma, engaged to Thorkell and daughter of a Saxon chieftain.
- The chieftain’s mother, responsible for caring for Estrith and Thorkell; she weaves fabrics and employs runes for protection.
- Edmund, Estrith’s fiancé and son of another Saxon chieftain.
- A Viking chieftain who leads the community into which Betony eventually assimilates.
Time slip
During her upbringing at Brackenbury, Betony experiences vivid visions from the viewpoint of her Viking ancestor through a time slip to approximately 850–975 AD. At that time, the Wasteland was accessible via the North Sea, coinciding with the rise of Viking settlements. In this ancestral life, she is closely connected to her family and becomes engaged to a prominent chief. After suffering the loss of her family at sea in her present life, Betony distances herself from these past-life memories.
Wasteland
The wild terrain along the Suffolk coast, referred to as the Wasteland, serves as a pivotal element in the narrative,[1] extending Arthur's thematic emphasis on setting.[2] Detailed portrayals of flora, climate, and avian life establish a vividly untamed environment both literally and symbolically. Arthur references the Shorter Oxford Dictionary definition of 'wasteland' as “land in its natural uncultivated state.” This region holds profound emotional resonance for Betony.[3] An elderly couple named Yetty and Nott, residing in an overturned boat, assist her navigation through this landscape that simultaneously fascinates and traps her. Yetty cautions about a ghostly pirate ship haunting the Wasteland’s pool—a site associated with multiple drownings despite shallow waters. After narrowly escaping drowning herself, Betony fully comprehends the Wasteland’s formidable influence while preserving her connection to it.
Reception
Library Thing characterizes On the Wasteland as a unique take on Arthur's typical time slip genre, where past and present intricately mirror each other: “the echoes of history rescuing Betony from early solitude and her emerging relationships rescuing her from history.”[4] Charlotte's Library Blog commended the novel but observed that narrative distance arises due to Betony narrating events with frequent flashbacks.[5]
External links
- Worldcat
- Publication history
- Trove - National Library of Australia
- Goodreads
- The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
- ISF DB
- Open Library
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