A novel by Rosa Pendarves COMING
Demelza's recording of the harbour plays back differently to different people. When she maps who hears what, the map means something — and some families are on it.
The Song Only Some Could Hear begins with a wonderfully odd question: what if the same harbour recording did not sound the same to everyone? In Polperran’s salt-bright lanes and gull-loud quays, Demelza listens closely, then begins to notice patterns in who hears which version. As her careful map starts pointing towards particular local families, the mystery feels both intimate and uncanny, full of sea-air, secrets and the hush before a bell.
Readers of nine to twelve will enjoy a puzzle that rewards listening, comparing and making connections, with Demelza’s curiosity at its centre. Rosa Pendarves keeps the chapters moving with clear, musical prose, enough humour in village voices to soften the shivers, and a level of peril that is intriguing rather than overwhelming. It is a satisfying independent read, but also has the cadence and suspense to work beautifully shared aloud.
As part of The Polperran Mysteries, The Song Only Some Could Hear deepens the shared village that Little Chough Press readers meet at different ages: familiar cliffs, harbour habits and old family names taking on new weight. Here, the thread is the Bell, and the idea of bell-touched families gives the story a quietly magical edge while staying rooted in community, belonging and the maps children make when adults have missed something.