REREAD: The Dragonfly Pool
Sep. 5th, 2025 07:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
feather_ghyllThe Dragonfly Pool: Eva Ibbotson, 2008, Macmillan Children’s Books.
It’s impossible not to like an Ibbotson book, although I was aware that this was set during a dark period in history (the build-up and start of world war two) but aimed at children. This was most apparent in the Nazi officer’s cartoonish men, Earless and Theophilus, one a large thug, one a slimy torturer. There’s also a lot going on, possibly too much, some of it inspired by Ibbotson’s own experiences at a progressive school, which might have meant she had less objectivity about the book.
Tally, short for Talitha, lives in London with her doctor father and two aunts. Like everyone, he can see that war is coming, and has jumped at the chance – although he adores his daughter – of a scholarship to a school in safe Devonshire for her. Tally hates the idea of leaving her home and all her people, most of all her father. Delderton turns out to be not at all like the boarding schools her posh cousins attend that Tally was somewhat prepared for. But by the first night, Tally has found new people to care for, like Julia and her one great sorrow, and she is soon deeply interested in school life. Everyone’s favourite teacher is Matteo, who wakes the children up to go outside and observe nature for their biology lessons.
It is Julia’s desire to see a certain film that means that Tally sees a newsreel about the kingdom of Bergania, whose king is bravely standing up to Hitler. This affects her deeply enough that when an offer comes for the school to go to a cultural festival at Bergania, and dance a folk dance in the spirit of international co-operation, Tally is the driving force for a party from the school going, after the children cobble together a version of a folk dance.
The story then switches to Bergania, where we meet Karil, the crown prince, of an age with Tally and friends (about 12.) His life is in some way that of a prisoner, managed/bullied by a cousin who the author dubs The Scold, he is expected to follow a certain routine, with no friends of his own age, as little interaction as possible with the lower classes, and very little time with his father, who is overburdened by work and responsibility. Especially because Hitler is eyeing up his country.
Of course, the motherless Tally and Karil meet, and almost immediately know that they’ll be friends (Karil is supposed to be preparing himself for marrying Carlotta, his first cousin, who has appropriately blue blood. All the talk about Tally and Karil’s relationship is couched as friendship, but Tally is sadly aware that she does not have ringlets or fancy clothes.) In a way, they’re repeating the friendship of Matteo with Johannes, Karil’s father, now a king. Tally and the Deldertonians’ ability to see Karil as an ordinary boy, even though they know he is a prince, warms his lonely heart, and when traitors in league with the Nazis act against King Johannes, they, and the folk dancing children from other countries help him as if he were one of their own. There is real loss, real danger, although some elements of the chase across Europe are over the top.
There is a third act, though, as the Scold has her way, and Karil is taken to stay with his grandfather, the Duke of Rottingdene, another almost parodic figure near Buckingham Palace. It is, again, a prison of sorts for the now fatherless boy, where he is expected to make nice with the spoilt Carlotta, but treat servants haughtily. He believes the Deldertonians have forgotten him, but on their side, they believe the same, for there are no answers to their letters – most of which are written by Tally.
Housemother and former artists’ model Clemmy is a convenient way of giving hope to Karil, Tally and the others, and Karil comes up with a plan, helped by good fortune, which allows him to do what Tally always wanted – regardless of adults thinking it wasn’t possible – namely, come to Delderton and just be himself among friends. It all comes right, for Karil, for Julia and for the harassed headmaster and thus for Tally who always puts her people first.
There are fairytale elements, although from a different angle – the young prince himself tends to think that heroines in fairy tales should be warned off princes, because he knows that their lives are not their own and miserable. There’s a strong strand of being against snobbishness, and for treating people as you find them throughout. There’s a love of nature – the dragonfly pool is magically described, as is befitting a place of great importance to Johannes, Karil, Matteo and Tally. As the schoolchildren come to put on a play about Persephone’s story, their experiences, both plot-specific and of living through the start of war enrichen it.
Tally and her loving determination is a heroine to root for, Karil is sympathetic too, and most of the children – even vain Verity! – are nice, although there are contrasting examples of spoilt children who have been brought up the wrong way. Although Ibbotson tempers the horrors of Nazism, there are references throughout to Jewish refugees fleeing, men’s lives being upended, and sympathetic pen portraits of Germans who had no truck with Nazism. The only Nazi character written about in the book is a soldier obsessed with his medals. More is written about the upper classes and their sense of entitlement – Karil’s absurd family in England - but also the love of order (and money and titles) that can metastasise into love of cruelty that is to be seen in the headmaster of Foxingdene, the shadow equivalent to Delderton, which is perhaps more relevant to modern child readers.
It ends with an epilogue in which many characters return to Bergania after the war, a Bergania that will be a republic, for Karil has renounced his throne, and, taking Tally’s father as his model, plans to be a doctor, while she’s found a love of Classics. Having just left school, he hints to his good friend Tally that he might one day come back and what type of person he'd like to be by his side.
I think this was the last or one of the last of Ibbotson’s books that I bought, and there are echoes of all her other books, when I wrote about it after first reading it here, I was struck by its similarity to 'A Song For Summer', but it had less of a grip on me than ‘Journey to the River Sea’ and ‘The Star of Kazan’. This is the last of my Ibbotson rereads (for now!), but I have got hold of another book by hers and hope to read it in due course.
It’s impossible not to like an Ibbotson book, although I was aware that this was set during a dark period in history (the build-up and start of world war two) but aimed at children. This was most apparent in the Nazi officer’s cartoonish men, Earless and Theophilus, one a large thug, one a slimy torturer. There’s also a lot going on, possibly too much, some of it inspired by Ibbotson’s own experiences at a progressive school, which might have meant she had less objectivity about the book.
Tally, short for Talitha, lives in London with her doctor father and two aunts. Like everyone, he can see that war is coming, and has jumped at the chance – although he adores his daughter – of a scholarship to a school in safe Devonshire for her. Tally hates the idea of leaving her home and all her people, most of all her father. Delderton turns out to be not at all like the boarding schools her posh cousins attend that Tally was somewhat prepared for. But by the first night, Tally has found new people to care for, like Julia and her one great sorrow, and she is soon deeply interested in school life. Everyone’s favourite teacher is Matteo, who wakes the children up to go outside and observe nature for their biology lessons.
It is Julia’s desire to see a certain film that means that Tally sees a newsreel about the kingdom of Bergania, whose king is bravely standing up to Hitler. This affects her deeply enough that when an offer comes for the school to go to a cultural festival at Bergania, and dance a folk dance in the spirit of international co-operation, Tally is the driving force for a party from the school going, after the children cobble together a version of a folk dance.
The story then switches to Bergania, where we meet Karil, the crown prince, of an age with Tally and friends (about 12.) His life is in some way that of a prisoner, managed/bullied by a cousin who the author dubs The Scold, he is expected to follow a certain routine, with no friends of his own age, as little interaction as possible with the lower classes, and very little time with his father, who is overburdened by work and responsibility. Especially because Hitler is eyeing up his country.
Of course, the motherless Tally and Karil meet, and almost immediately know that they’ll be friends (Karil is supposed to be preparing himself for marrying Carlotta, his first cousin, who has appropriately blue blood. All the talk about Tally and Karil’s relationship is couched as friendship, but Tally is sadly aware that she does not have ringlets or fancy clothes.) In a way, they’re repeating the friendship of Matteo with Johannes, Karil’s father, now a king. Tally and the Deldertonians’ ability to see Karil as an ordinary boy, even though they know he is a prince, warms his lonely heart, and when traitors in league with the Nazis act against King Johannes, they, and the folk dancing children from other countries help him as if he were one of their own. There is real loss, real danger, although some elements of the chase across Europe are over the top.
There is a third act, though, as the Scold has her way, and Karil is taken to stay with his grandfather, the Duke of Rottingdene, another almost parodic figure near Buckingham Palace. It is, again, a prison of sorts for the now fatherless boy, where he is expected to make nice with the spoilt Carlotta, but treat servants haughtily. He believes the Deldertonians have forgotten him, but on their side, they believe the same, for there are no answers to their letters – most of which are written by Tally.
Housemother and former artists’ model Clemmy is a convenient way of giving hope to Karil, Tally and the others, and Karil comes up with a plan, helped by good fortune, which allows him to do what Tally always wanted – regardless of adults thinking it wasn’t possible – namely, come to Delderton and just be himself among friends. It all comes right, for Karil, for Julia and for the harassed headmaster and thus for Tally who always puts her people first.
There are fairytale elements, although from a different angle – the young prince himself tends to think that heroines in fairy tales should be warned off princes, because he knows that their lives are not their own and miserable. There’s a strong strand of being against snobbishness, and for treating people as you find them throughout. There’s a love of nature – the dragonfly pool is magically described, as is befitting a place of great importance to Johannes, Karil, Matteo and Tally. As the schoolchildren come to put on a play about Persephone’s story, their experiences, both plot-specific and of living through the start of war enrichen it.
Tally and her loving determination is a heroine to root for, Karil is sympathetic too, and most of the children – even vain Verity! – are nice, although there are contrasting examples of spoilt children who have been brought up the wrong way. Although Ibbotson tempers the horrors of Nazism, there are references throughout to Jewish refugees fleeing, men’s lives being upended, and sympathetic pen portraits of Germans who had no truck with Nazism. The only Nazi character written about in the book is a soldier obsessed with his medals. More is written about the upper classes and their sense of entitlement – Karil’s absurd family in England - but also the love of order (and money and titles) that can metastasise into love of cruelty that is to be seen in the headmaster of Foxingdene, the shadow equivalent to Delderton, which is perhaps more relevant to modern child readers.
It ends with an epilogue in which many characters return to Bergania after the war, a Bergania that will be a republic, for Karil has renounced his throne, and, taking Tally’s father as his model, plans to be a doctor, while she’s found a love of Classics. Having just left school, he hints to his good friend Tally that he might one day come back and what type of person he'd like to be by his side.
I think this was the last or one of the last of Ibbotson’s books that I bought, and there are echoes of all her other books, when I wrote about it after first reading it here, I was struck by its similarity to 'A Song For Summer', but it had less of a grip on me than ‘Journey to the River Sea’ and ‘The Star of Kazan’. This is the last of my Ibbotson rereads (for now!), but I have got hold of another book by hers and hope to read it in due course.
