When the Burying Ground goes down in neutral waters, it sends the delegations from two warring nations—and the peace treaty they were about to sign—to the bottom of the ocean. The only survivors are a pair of teen girls: Cora, daughter of a Duran newspaper man, and Vivienne, lady’s maid to an Ariminthian princess. Neither has known a time when war between their two countries did not rage, but now they must learn to trust each other if they are to find sustenance, avoid dangerous pirates, and have any hope of rescue from the remote island they washed up on. However, in the midst of a conflict steeped in fierce national identity, propaganda, disinformation, and radicalization, finding a common path forward seems nearly impossible, for both Cora and Vivienne and their respective countries. But when the teens’ politically charged rescue seems likely to extend the war, Cora and Vivienne realize they do have a shared purpose: peace. If only it isn’t too late.
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The Loss of the Burying Ground
Featured
Author(s)
Publisher
Genre(s)
Age Range
14+
Release Date
September 03, 2024
ISBN
978-1536232387
Buy This Book
In this twisting, page-turning read, shipwrecked teen girls from opposing sides of a long war must find common ground in order to survive.
Editor review
1 review
Fantasy that feels like history
(Updated: July 22, 2024)
Overall rating
4.0
Plot
3.0
Characters
4.0
Writing Style
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A
The Loss of the Burying Ground is an introspective novel about Cora and Vivienne, two girls from warring countries who are caught in the aftermath of a failed diplomatic expedition and the storm of intrigue, propaganda, and covert operations that come in its wake.
Beautifully written and told in dual points-of-view, this story is quieter than what might be expected for a war novel. Cora and Vivienne separately wash up on a deserted island just after a massive shipwreck, and there the journey of survival begins. The sinking of the ship is mentioned in passing, but that sort of action isn’t the focus. Instead, the inner conflict and personal struggles of the girls are front and center, and the first half of the book is entirely about basic survival.
Cora and Vivienne are a highlight of the book. Their relationship is generally contentious, at best, and underlines the differences in worldview, temperament, and upbringing which they both recognize in each other, and either wonder about or despise. Cora comes from a more progressive nation, where soldiers instruct children in wilderness survival and leaders are determined by election. In contrast, Vivienne is a palace servant with a reverence for nature and spiritual intuition, and obedience to customs which even she admits are restrictive. Through comparison, neither side is labeled as consistently right or wrong, and the ideas are explored, both on an individual level and as an analogue for the national policies and wartime attitudes of the girls’ respective nations. The enemy is not a man holding a gun – it is the circumstances, misinformation, or manipulation that put him there.
As I mentioned, despite the wartime setting, daring escapades are few and far between, and it may feel particularly slow in the first half. This section deals with the girls’ individual survival, and even after they are aware of one another, they continue to act independently for some time, until additional threats force them together. These scenes highlight their resourcefulness, differences in upbringing, and struggles with nature, but the inner monologue does grow a bit repetitive as the girls repeat their same worries in each chapter.
Pick this up for a tale of survival and how ordinary people can be forever changed by the smallest part of a war.
Beautifully written and told in dual points-of-view, this story is quieter than what might be expected for a war novel. Cora and Vivienne separately wash up on a deserted island just after a massive shipwreck, and there the journey of survival begins. The sinking of the ship is mentioned in passing, but that sort of action isn’t the focus. Instead, the inner conflict and personal struggles of the girls are front and center, and the first half of the book is entirely about basic survival.
Cora and Vivienne are a highlight of the book. Their relationship is generally contentious, at best, and underlines the differences in worldview, temperament, and upbringing which they both recognize in each other, and either wonder about or despise. Cora comes from a more progressive nation, where soldiers instruct children in wilderness survival and leaders are determined by election. In contrast, Vivienne is a palace servant with a reverence for nature and spiritual intuition, and obedience to customs which even she admits are restrictive. Through comparison, neither side is labeled as consistently right or wrong, and the ideas are explored, both on an individual level and as an analogue for the national policies and wartime attitudes of the girls’ respective nations. The enemy is not a man holding a gun – it is the circumstances, misinformation, or manipulation that put him there.
As I mentioned, despite the wartime setting, daring escapades are few and far between, and it may feel particularly slow in the first half. This section deals with the girls’ individual survival, and even after they are aware of one another, they continue to act independently for some time, until additional threats force them together. These scenes highlight their resourcefulness, differences in upbringing, and struggles with nature, but the inner monologue does grow a bit repetitive as the girls repeat their same worries in each chapter.
Pick this up for a tale of survival and how ordinary people can be forever changed by the smallest part of a war.
User reviews
1 review
Overall rating
4.8
Plot
5.0(1)
Characters
5.0(1)
Writing Style
5.0(1)
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
4.0(1)
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Fantastic Historical Fantasy
Overall rating
4.8
Plot
5.0
Characters
5.0
Writing Style
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
4.0
Praise to J. Anderson Coats for another amazing historical fantasy novel for ages 14 and up.
This author is an auto-buy for me. She has a unique way of combining elements into creative out-of-the-box plots with her historical research. This novel spirals from the narration of one character lost after a shipwreck, then to two, then into a complex society of perpetual war. It makes us feel a panoply of emotions.
The Burying Ground sinks in neutral waters with the delegations of two nations with different regimes: one ruled by a monarchy, and another by a parliament. There are at least two survivors: our protagonists. One from the Duran society, trained since childhood for war, and another from the Ariminthian who served her princess well. They have different skills and different upbringings. According to tradition, they are enemies, but soon they realize that there's more in common than they think. They are the same and the most important commonality is that they both want peace.
Before they can trust each other and learn to see their reality through another's eyes, they will cease fire to survive the island, then the pirates hunting them on the island, and after, the only chance they'll have to make sure the war will end.
If a book could translate how our current society and world make me feel overwhelmed, this would be it. The feeling of wanting to act but seeing all paths corrupted and pointless, understanding that the leaders prefer to rule with lies and blame to keep profitable wars going. But... these characters also give us the courage to stick to our beliefs, to do the right thing, and never give up. I believe in the path of fighting back and activism that is not based on violence and retaliation. Instead, I prefer to think that education, knowledge, communication, and acceptance of diversity can win more battles, as these characters do.
It is an amazing read that will start many discussions in the classroom or just keep us thinking for a while, not only regarding the leadership of nations, types of government, and the meaning of war/peace but what are we doing about the wrong things. Do we prefer to stay hidden on a desert island, or face the truth?
Thank you author and publisher for the advance reader copy.
Illustration : cover artwork 3.5
This author is an auto-buy for me. She has a unique way of combining elements into creative out-of-the-box plots with her historical research. This novel spirals from the narration of one character lost after a shipwreck, then to two, then into a complex society of perpetual war. It makes us feel a panoply of emotions.
The Burying Ground sinks in neutral waters with the delegations of two nations with different regimes: one ruled by a monarchy, and another by a parliament. There are at least two survivors: our protagonists. One from the Duran society, trained since childhood for war, and another from the Ariminthian who served her princess well. They have different skills and different upbringings. According to tradition, they are enemies, but soon they realize that there's more in common than they think. They are the same and the most important commonality is that they both want peace.
Before they can trust each other and learn to see their reality through another's eyes, they will cease fire to survive the island, then the pirates hunting them on the island, and after, the only chance they'll have to make sure the war will end.
If a book could translate how our current society and world make me feel overwhelmed, this would be it. The feeling of wanting to act but seeing all paths corrupted and pointless, understanding that the leaders prefer to rule with lies and blame to keep profitable wars going. But... these characters also give us the courage to stick to our beliefs, to do the right thing, and never give up. I believe in the path of fighting back and activism that is not based on violence and retaliation. Instead, I prefer to think that education, knowledge, communication, and acceptance of diversity can win more battles, as these characters do.
It is an amazing read that will start many discussions in the classroom or just keep us thinking for a while, not only regarding the leadership of nations, types of government, and the meaning of war/peace but what are we doing about the wrong things. Do we prefer to stay hidden on a desert island, or face the truth?
Thank you author and publisher for the advance reader copy.
Illustration : cover artwork 3.5
Good Points
No real heroes, no real villains
From two characters on an island to kingdoms at war
Makes us think
From two characters on an island to kingdoms at war
Makes us think
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