The Horn Book Magazine reviewed Heather, Oak, and Olive by Rosemary Sutcliff, calling it "powerful, deep, and memorable."

Read the full review below.

"Three short stories on the themes of heroism and friendship, originally published in 1972, exemplify Sutcliff’s genius at immediacy of character, setting, and situation. The first and third stories are vivid evocations of ancient times—a Welsh chieftain’s daughter rescues an enslaved Irish boy from certain death, and then faces it herself; an Athenian runner forms a strong but necessarily temporary friendship with an enemy Spartan boy at the Olympic games. The second story may be harder for contemporary readers to relate to, but not because of its Roman Britain setting—the protagonist is adult, and the flashback device adds more remove. Still, all three stories are powerful, deep, and memorable; the (original) Victor Ambrus illustrations infuse further intensity and emotion."—Martha V. Parravano, The Horn Book Magazine (May/June 2016 issue)