The Broken Bell

The Broken Bell is the second book in the Boat in the Bay trilogy. Set on a remote island off the coast of southern France, an idyllic holiday gradually becomes a terrifying race against time building to a dramatic climax.

The Broken Bell gives us the first glimpse of Poppy, hardly aware of her own incredible talent as a painter, torn between the magic world of art and artists and her life with the other children.

But the hero of this book is the youngest of all. Ian never completely understands what is going on, but he is the one who finally discovers the secret of the broken bell.

“The writing is assured … the implied reminders of the Swallows and Amazons series again add another dimension and are a delight” – Julian Lovelock, The Journal of the Arthur Ransome Society.