WINDEBY PUZZLE, THE Paperback

Lois Lowry's "The Windeby Puzzle" is a unique blend of historical inquiry and imaginative storytelling, inspired by the real discovery of a 2,000-year-old "bog body" in Northern Germany. The book delves into the mystery of this ancient adolescent, who was initially believed to be a girl and later identified as a boy. Lowry offers two distinct fictional narratives—one following a girl named Estrild, who yearns to be a warrior in her Iron Age village, and another centered on Varick, a disabled orphan boy—each exploring a possible life and tragic death for the Windeby child. Weaving in historical context and personal reflections on the writing process, Lowry invites readers to ponder the secrets of the past and the powerful role of imagination in understanding history.