In Mountains are Free by Julia Davis Adams (published 1930), young Bruno longs to see the world apart from his Swiss mountaintop, so when he has a chance to join two Austrian knights, he takes it. But he quickly comes to see that working for Austrian knights means giving up the freedom he’s accustomed to in his Swiss canton. His middle ages story overlaps with that of William Tell, who shot an apple off of his own son’s head, as well as that of Swiss independence from Austria in the early 1300s. His adventure requires escaping from the Austrian castle where he has been kept and returning to his mountain home where he can help defend his land from the encroaching Austrian leadership.
Historically the Swiss had been independent and free, and so when the Austrian territorial leaders come in and demand allegiance, the mountain people of the four Swiss cantons refuse to submit. Mountains are Free shows the Swiss perspective both from inside the Austrian defenses and from the cantons themselves with Bruno’s adventures. The story is full of adventure and memorable characters, including Kyo (the castle jester) and Zelina (a young girl fleeing an arranged marriage). Bruno himself is brave even as he deals with the consequences of his own decision to join the Austrians in the beginning of the story.
As a children’s book, the writing is well done. It is well plotted but it also is strong in structure. The setting, both that of the medieval castle and of the mountains of Switzerland, is described in details such that the reader can imagine being there in person. The writing is emotional, and the scene of William Tell and his son is heart-wrenching as it is meant to be. Characters are both flawed and loveable. I enjoyed reading Mountains Are Free and have no qualms about recommending this 1931 Newbery Honor book to the modern child reader, although it might be best as a read aloud.
