Macbeth and Son

A modern tale of truth and lies woven with a story from the past. Luke lives in modern-day Australia with his mother and stepfather, Sam. He is burdened by a guilty secret: Sam has helped him to cheat in an entrance exam for a prestigious school. Lulach lives in ninth-century Scotland with his mother and stepfather, Macbeth. Macbeth becomes a great king and restores peace to the land. Luke dreams about Lulach and Macbeth at night. He is also studying the play Macbeth at school and in Shakespeare's version, Macbeth is a villain who murders the rightful king. Why did Shakespeare lie about who Macbeth really was? When is it okay to lie and when should you tell the truth? Similarly to Hitler's Daughter, Macbeth and Son challenges the reader to consider the actions of people, both in the past and present, and from a seemingly simple storyline, Macbeth and Son arrives at the morally complex question of 'What is truth? And how important is it?' Ages 10-14 A modern tale of truth and lies woven with a story from the past. Luke lives in modern-day Australia with his mother and stepfather, Sam. He is burdened by a guilty secret: Sam has helped him to cheat in an entrance exam for a prestigious school.Lulach lives in ninth-century Scotland with his mother and stepfather, Macbeth. Macbeth becomes a great king and restores peace to the land.Luke dreams about Lulach and Macbeth at night. He is also studying the play Macbeth at school and in Shakespeare's version, Macbeth is a villain who murders the rightful king. Why did Shakespeare lie about who Macbeth really was? When is it okay to lie and when should you tell the truth? Similarly to Hitler's Daughter , Macbeth and Son challenges the reader to consider the actions of people, both in the past and present, and from a seemingly simple storyline, Macbeth and Son arrives at the morally complex question of 'What is truth? And how important is it?' AWARDS Shortlisted - 2007 CBCA Book of the Year Awards (Younger Readers) "Luke lives in modern-day Australia with his mother and stepfather, Sam. Luke is burdened by a guilty secret: Sam has helped him to cheat in an entrance exam for a prestigious school. Lulach lives in eleventh-century Scotland with his mother and stepfather, Macbeth, who becomes a great king and restores peace to the land. Luke is studying Shakespeare's play 'Macbeth' at school and dreams about Lulach and Macbeth at night. But gradually Luke realises they are more than dreams. Somehow, he is reliving events that actually took place - and they're nothing like Shakespeare's version. In the play, Macbeth is a villain who murders the rightful king. Why did Shakespeare lie about who Macbeth really was? Does truth really matter? As the lives of Luke and Lulach intertwine, the answers to these questions will change them both forever." -- BOOK JACKET Luke is studying Shakespeare's play Macbeth at school when he starts having vivid dreams about the life of Lulach living in 11th century Alba (later Scotland) with his stepfather, Macbeth. But Luke's dreams are at odds with Shakespeare's view of Macbeth as a morally bad man. Luke's own stepfather, Sam, is a TV celebrity who uses his influence to obtain a leaked exam paper to ensure Luke is offered a scholarship to a prestigious school. Luke begins to feel that the weight of his conscience is too great a burden despite the harm he perceives that will follow if he confesses all his 'mistruths'. The issue of honesty bridges the lives of the two boys, a thousand years apart, as they struggle to rescue their integrity Luke Lives In Modern-day Australia With His Mother And Stepfather, Sam. Lulach Lives In 9th Century Scotland With His Mother And Stepfather, Macbeth. Luke Dreams About Lulach And Macbeth And Knows Him To Be A King Who Restored Peace To The Land. Luke Wonders As He Studies Macbeth Why Shakespeare Made Him A Villain. Ages 10-14. While studying Macbeth at school, Luke shares Lulach's experiences in Alba in the eleventh century through dreams that are more real than his contemporary life. Sharing Lulach's experiences leads Luke to question the nature of truth--in history as well as in his own life