Secret Water, published in 1939, is the eighth book in Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series. There isn't much attempt to fill in new readers on details from previous instalments, but it's not difficult to figure out the general gist of things. In this camping adventure, the children explore an area of Essex marshland close to Walton-on-the-Naze. Whilst sailing around the islands and creating a map of the area, they encounter a tribe of other kids who call themselves the Eels. Despite initial hostilities, the groups team up to work together and later engage in friendly warfare. The lack of any real conflict or serious mishap reflects its relatively young target audience, although adults with fond memories of outdoor activities as children will probably find something to enjoy.
The plot is simple and unaffected, harking back to a time when children followed more innocent pursuits and were brought up on a stricter regime, despite being granted greater freedom. There is a tense scene where some of them are trapped on a narrow causeway by an incoming tide, but the fear of earning their parents' disapproval eclipses that of drowning. Ransome illustrates the book with his own black and white drawings which add some charm to the proceedings, yet the whole thing felt a little flat. Compared with their previous adventures, this dull mission of mapping tidal flats made for a rather watered down experience. Although not overly inclined to read other books in the series, I should probably pick up
Swallows and Amazons one day.
Rating: 2/5
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