L. M. Boston’s thrilling and chilling tales of Green Knowe, a haunted manor deep in an overgrown garden in the English countryside, have been entertaining readers for half a century. In this volume, a strange friendship develops between a young Chinese refugee who is spending the summer at Green Knowe and a gorilla who has escaped from the London Zoo.
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"This title is a bit different than the other Green Knowe books. I found it a bit scary actually, and I would warn parents that they might want to check this one out before they hand it over to a small child. As you would expect, the good guys win, but not before some really awful stuff happens. "
— Lauren (5 out of 5 stars)
“Superb and thrilling.”
— New York Herald Tribune Book Review“Mystery, wonder, and suspense fill this unique story.”
— Horn Book“A moving story of great originality.”
— Commonweal" I LOVE the Green Knowe Books! (3) I read it as a young teen and loved the mystery and ghostly encounters. A must read! "
— Adea, 12/28/2013" This was a huge departure from the rest of the series. While I liked it, it should have been separate from the Green Knowe books. The tone is different, and it belongs in a different genre altogether as the others are more fantasy. The ending was terribly sad, but predictable. "
— Cassandra, 12/17/2013" I remember enjoying this book at the time. This was one of the less memorable book of the series. "
— Siobhan, 11/15/2013" This completely charming series doesn't get enough attention from the usual YA fans. Probably not enough plot for a lot of kids, but the atmosphere is enchanting and creepy when necessary. Totally beguiling. "
— David, 10/19/2012" I liked it - but this may be my least favorite of the series. "
— Susanna, 7/11/2012" Very sympathetic to animals' dignity and freedom. First 37 pages take place among wild gorillas in Africa. "
— Emily, 5/5/2012" Extra star for the gorilla. "
— Dean, 2/12/2012" The first of the Greene Knowe series that was not a fantasy. Boy meets gorilla, and results are poignant. "
— Elderberrywine, 2/23/2011" No magic in this one, but it does have Ping. I am very fond of Ping. "
— Kris, 10/6/2010" Well since it is a Green Knowe book and I love and adore Green Knowe books, I think it was ok but the other books are much better. I thought the gorilla thing was kinda weird and I hated that it had a sad end. But I love how in a later book they call upon the gorilla to help them and he does. "
— Brooke, 5/7/2010" It definitely got more exciting towards the end, and I enjoyed the story at Green Knowe, but... I think you have to really like gorillas to enjoy this book. More than I like gorillas. "
— Tabitha, 7/28/2009" This was a delightful read, where Ping and Tolly work together to thwart efforts of a nosy neighbor who appears to be somewhat evil, from getting inside Green Knowe. The grandmother, as always, is a delightful woman! "
— Lisa, 4/16/2009" By far the best and creepiest of the Green Knowe books. Made reading the first four titles worthwhile. Brrrr. "
— Michael, 6/9/2007Lucy Maria Boston (1892–1990) purchased a ramshackle manor house near Cambridge, England, in 1935, which over a period of two years she lovingly restored. It is this house that inspired her, at the age of sixty-two, to take pen in hand and create the beloved Green Knowe series.
Simon Vance (a.k.a. Robert Whitfield) is an award-winning actor and narrator. He has earned more than fifty Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration thirteen times. He was named Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice as well as an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009. He has narrated more than eight hundred audiobooks over almost thirty years, beginning when he was a radio newsreader for the BBC in London. He is also an actor who has appeared on both stage and television.