''The Edge of the Cloud'' is a 1969 historical novel written for children or young adults by

K. M. Peyton Kathleen Wendy Herald Peyton (born 2 August 1929), who writes primarily as K. M. Peyton, is a British author of fiction for children and young adults. She has written more than fifty novels including the much loved " Flambards" series of storie ...

. It was the second book in Peyton's original

Flambards ''Flambards'' is a novel for children or young adults by K. M. Peyton, first published by Oxford University Press in 1967 with illustrations by Victor Ambrus. Alternatively, "Flambards" is the trilogy (1967–1969) or series (1967–1981) name ...

trilogy, comprising three books published by Oxford with illustrations by Victor Ambrus (1967 to 1969), a series the author extended more than a decade later. Set in England prior to the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, it continues the romance of Christina Parsons and Will Russell. The title alludes to Will's participation in early

aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot a ...

. Peyton won the annual Carnegie Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's best children's book by a British subject. She also won the 1970

Guardian Children's Fiction Prize The Guardian Children's Fiction Prize or Guardian Award was a literary award that annual recognised one fiction book written for children or young adults (at least age eight) and published in the United Kingdom. It was conferred upon the author ...

, selected by a panel of British children's writers, a once-in-a-lifetime award that ordinarily recognises one fiction book published during the preceding calendar year. Exceptionally the 1970 award recognised the series completed in 1969.

World Publishing Company The World Publishing Company was an American publishing company. The company published genre fiction, trade paperbacks, children's literature, nonfiction books, textbooks, Bibles, and dictionaries,adapted In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the po ...

as a 13-part television series in 1979, ''

'' starring Christine McKenna as Christina Parsons. Peyton then continued and partly reversed the story.

Plot summary

''The Edge of the Cloud'' is set in London where, after Will and Christina elope, Christina briefly stays with their Aunt Grace. Will finds a job as a mechanic and later as an instructor at a flying school, and Christina finds employment at a nearby hotel to be close to Will. Uncle Russel and Mr Dermont both die during the course of the story. One death fills Will with pain; the other indifference. Will and Christina become close friends with Sandy, another flying instructor, and his girlfriend, Dorothy, the spoiled daughter of Christina's employer. Will gives exhibition flights to make extra money and designs and builds his own airplane. Mark joins the army. At the end, Will becomes famous as a stunt pilot and is thinking of joining the army, which—on the eve of their long-awaited wedding—worries Christina.

References

;Citations
''The Edge of the Cloud'' at Fantastic Fiction

''The Edge of the Cloud'' in the OUP catalogue

External links

—immediately, first US edition {{DEFAULTSORT:Edge of the Cloud, The Aviation novels British children's novels Children's historical novels Carnegie Medal in Literature winning works Novels set in London Novels by K. M. Peyton Novels set in the 1910s 1969 British novels 1969 children's books Oxford University Press books Children's books set in London Children's books set in the 1910s

Plot summary

See also

References

External links