Written by Arthur Ransome, Pigeon Post is the sixth book in the Swallows and Amazons series.
The Swallows, Amazons and Ds arrive at Beckfoot for the summer holidays and plan to mine gold for Captain Flint. After meeting three requirements (the ability to get milk and water, and for pigeons to deliver messages), the group start their search for gold. However, Squashy Hat is also on the hunt for the precious metal and a threat of fire looms over High Topps. Will they be the first to strike gold? Will High Topps be set ablaze?
Most of the main characters appear in other books from the series: the Swallows and Amazons appear in all previous books except Coot Club, which the Ds appear in following their debut in Winter Holiday. These characters also have familial relationships with each other. John and Roger are the brothers of Susan and Titty, Nancy and Peggy are sisters, and Dick is Dorothea’s brother. In Pigeon Post, Dick is referred to as the professor, and ‘even John and Nancy, captains of their ships, were ready enough to leave everything’ to him.
The three main themes of Pigeon Post are determination, mining and secrecy. The Swallows, Amazons and Ds are determined to camp near the gold mine so they can reach their goal of making a gold ingot for Captain Flint. Dick creates a system for pigeons to ring a bell when they reach Beckfoot with a message. Despite being scared at first, Titty uses a hazel stick to find a well near their planned camp. They’re also determined to defend the gold, spying on Squashy Hat so that they can keep their golden secret from him.
LIke the other Swallows and Amazons books, Pigeon Post is set in the author’s present and our past: 1936. These were times where younger children were able to camp by themselves and people didn’t have mobile phones. Pigeon Post takes place in a moorland landscape weakened by drought:
Half circled by the hills there lay a wide plateau, broken with gullies, scarred with ridges of rock that rose out of a sea of heather and bracken, and close-cropped sun-dried grass.
I found Pigeon Post a brilliant book overall, but there are three main things I loved about it. First, I just really liked how Sappho, an unreliable pigeon, allowed people to learn of the fire quickly. Second, the description of places like High Topps made me feel like I was actually there. Finally, I was pleased to find adventure elements as this is one of my favourite story genres.
