Stroke

Stroke carries older readers into a salt-bright Polperran summer, where the rhythm of oars and tide gathers a crew around the village gig. As regatta pressure builds, Lowen must discover what leadership feels like from inside a boat, Doc turns practical brilliance to the refit, and Isolde Brannigan chooses to row for Polperran — even when her father’s sponsored boat is on the opposing line. It is a story of loyalty, nerve and belonging.

Readers of twelve and up will relish the clean pull of the rowing scenes, the quick exchanges between capable teenagers, and the quiet humour that comes from people trying to do their best under pressure. The jeopardy is emotional and competitive rather than frightening: enough tension to make pages turn, with a reassuring respect for friendship, fairness and finding your voice. Its strong cadence also makes selected passages a pleasure to share aloud.

In the Polperran novels, Stroke lets readers grow a little older alongside the harbour they may already know from Little Chough Press’s younger series. It keeps the village at the centre while widening the view to teenage choices: responsibility, family pressure, pride in a shared place, and the courage to pull in time with others. For returning readers, familiar Cornish textures are here; for newcomers, the regatta offers a clear way in.