Brothers Marcus and Julian Sedgwick team up to pen this haunting tale of another pair of brothers, caught between life and death in World War II. Harry Black, a conscientious objector, artist, and firefighter battling the blazes of German bombing in London in 1944, wakes in the hospital to news that his soldier brother, Ellis, has been killed. In the delirium of his wounded state, Harry’s mind begins to blur the distinctions between the reality of war-torn London, the fiction of his unpublished sci-fi novel, and the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Driven by visions of Ellis still alive and a sense of poetic inevitability, Harry sets off on a search for his brother that will lead him deep into the city’s Underworld. With otherworldly paintings by Alexis Deacon depicting Harry’s surreal descent further into the depths of hell, this eerily beautiful blend of prose, verse, and illustration delves into love, loyalty, and the unbreakable bonds of brotherhood as it builds to a fierce indictment of mechanized warfare.
Two-color illustrations done in acrylic ink, watercolor, charcoal, and gouache.
Title alpha Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black
Category Young Adult Plus
Pages Count 320
Genre Fiction
Topics World War II (1939–1945). London, England. London Blitz (bombing campaign), 1940–1941. Brothers. Conscientious objectors. Art and artists. Orpheus. Greek mythology. Underground areas. Magical realism. Death.
Lexile 760L
Trim Size 6 3/4" x 8 1/2"
JLG Span Fall
Language English
Rights type Print
Publication date 2019-08-12
JLG Release Date Oct 2019
Minimum grade 9
Maximum grade 12
Reading level High
Format Print
Young Adult Plus (Grades 9 & Up)
Young Adult Plus
Young Adult Plus (Grades 9 & Up)
For Grades 9 & Up
Why stop at just a few? With this collection, you can double the literary rewards for young adult readers, ensuring a steady stream of fresh and compelling books each year. These selections provide a balance of humor, realism, and deep narratives that resonate with teen readers.