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| Author | Lloyd Alexander |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | Westmark |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publisher | 1981 (E. P. Dutton) |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardcover & paperback) |
| Pages | 184 (first edition, hardcover) |
| ISBN | 0-525-42335-4 (first edition, hard) |
| OCLC | 6735668 |
| LC Class | PZ7.A3774 We 1981 |
| Followed by | The Kestrel |
Westmark (1981) is a speculative fiction novel by Lloyd Alexander. It won the National Book Award in the category of Children's Fiction (hardcover edition) in 1982.[1] The novel follows Theo, a printer's devil, while he flees from the law after an altercation with the police. He takes up with a charismatic confidence man named Count Las Bombas and a mysterious girl named Mickle. Mickle is eventually unveiled as the rightful heir to the throne and Theo falls in love with her. The Kestrel continues the story.
Westmark is notable for being one of Alexander's darker works. According to Alexander, it was inspired by the events of the 18th and 19th centuries as well as by his own experiences as a soldier in World War Two. Westmark, both the book and the trilogy bearing its name, has received some attention critically and academically. Notably, while classed as fantasy, it involves very few, if any, fantastical elements. The novel has instead been considered a meditation on politics, power, and ethical problems.
- ^ [1]. National Book Foundation. Retrieved 2024-09-27.