The manuscript mentions Arthur and the Holy Grail, the latter being a cup of some sort, and that the Grail was brought to Cornwall and hidden there. He recognises the language and manuscript to be at least 600 years old – and copy of a much older original manuscript. The children find out soon that the manuscript is of a considerable interest to others: a local boy, a local vicar and a party on a yacht that anchors by the Trewissick harbour.Īfter Jane has a strange visit to the vicar and there is an unsuccessful burglary to house the children tell about the manuscript to uncle Merry. Barney, Jane and Simon hide the parchment safely (and wisely) in a metallic sealed tube in the house. The Drews reside in a big house where they discover a secret passage and, after exploring the hidden parts of the house, an old parchment manuscript, a map with inscription. Over Sea, Under the Stone is more of a mystery than fantasy. Maybe the Beatles plays somewhere in the background that world does not concern our young Drews yet. Waiting for them is their great uncle Merriman (Merry) Lyons. In Over Sea, Under the Stone, it is summer and siblings Barney (Barnabas), Jane and Simon Drew have arrived by train to the St Austell train station in Cornwall on their way to a nearby seaside town of Trewissick. In case my memory somehow served me wrong I checked the Finnish translations dates – 19. I reserved the first three books (in Finnish translations) and very soon I had picked them from my branch (no adventures on the way there and back). Something clicked and I logged in to our library site to search for those books.

I had mostly forgotten about the series, until late last year I saw a picture of a section of fantasy and science fiction books from someone’s bookshelf on Twitter, and, upon checking what books I owned or had at least read, seeing those five books in the picture somehow magically transported my back almost 40 years. I can still remember where the books were: immediately after entering the library, turn immediately left for the children’s department, then turn left again and in front of you is the bookshelf where Susan Cooper’s books reside. Once, I even got reprimanded by a librarian for returning the books (hopefully only slightly) wet – I had explored the spring streams transporting water from melting snow to faraway places I carried the books in a plastic bag which must been dipping into the water during my excitement.Īt some point I discovered Susan Cooper’s The Dark Is Rising series. Trips to the library were always an adventure as I was allowed to make the journey by myself. It must have been 1980 when I got my first library card to a small branch library in an equally small town.

Over sea under stone book