Illustrated by Tom Coomber
I found this small unassuming novel in Arty Bees bookshop in Wellington. It's an old-school library copy, with lots of foxing damage, but I was so taken by the title, I took it home - I have no regrets. My daughter and I read it together and it was our favourite book all year. They say, 'Never judge a book by its cover' - this is the sort of book that proves that saying to be true.
The story is about a young girl named Sally. She is from Yorkshire, England. Her mother dies and she has no other relatives except for an uncle in New Zealand. She didn't know about this uncle because her family never spoke of him. He was the black sheep because he ran away to sea when he was young. Her mother's lawyer puts her on a ship to sail to Wellington, New Zealand to live with her uncle. When she gets to Wellington, she meets Uncle Dave and discovers that he is married to Aunty Jane and they have six children! Peter, Veronica, twins Daphne and Diana, Dan and baby Josie. They live on a farm near Masterton and they drive around in a car that they nicknamed the Willy-Nilly. She spends the summer getting to know the family and attends Kowhai school where she becomes good friends with a Maori girl called Hinemona. The children also visit their Grandmother and aunt in Wellington.
The descriptions of Wellington and the car ride to the Wairarapa are very good.
The story is written in 1960 and I was expecting to read something similar to an Enid Blyton book and the style of writing is similar. Lots of "Gee! I'm hungry!" and "jolly good!" type language, but I wasn't prepared for the depth of emotion and character development the author took us on. Sally is an orphan, there are lots of stories like this written for children - but the idea of grief is never really settled. The author sensitively and wisely addresses the subject of grief throughout the story - Sally is missing her hometown, way of life, and her mother, but later she is able to [SPOILER] comfort her cousin in their moment of grief which is one of the most touching moments in the book.
Sally was thoughtful. How could she comfort her small cousins in their grief? She herself knew the stark reality of death, young as she was. Had it not claimed both of her parents? And she remembered the pain and the suffering, the puzzlement of youth concerning death, the loss of security and love, and the wretched feeling that she had been robbed of everything that life stood for. As Sally recalled these emotions of her own bereavements she wanted so much to comfort the sorrowful little girls before her. She looked across at the gay spring flowers, rich with colour in the sunlight, and they seemed to nod their fair heads in approval of her thoughts.
"Well, " she said at length, "it's just as if the world is a big garden and all the people in it are flowers. See those golden daffodils over there? Well, they have budded and blossomed, and when they begin to fade Aunty Jan ill pick their withered heads off, won't she?"
The twins nodded.
"Well," continued Sally, "God does the same in the world, which is His garden. When we get tired of living, as Gran did, he just picks our soul from our body and takes it to rest with Him."
"Oh!" The twins were satisfied and comforted.
Death was no longer feared, not when you look at the golden daffodils swaying so gracefully in the gentle spring breeze, not when you thought of Gran as one of their happy hosts, picked by God because she was tired of blooming... (page 119-120)
As the chapters unfold, you see a young girl growing up who turns into a very wise, caring, and empathic young person. Her friendship with Hinemona really addresses racism and bullying at her school. Sally faces bullying in her family with her older cousin Veronica but finds encouragement and friendship from Peter. Sally is a wonderful example of courage and quiet fortitude, trusting to do what is right in all circumstances, even when the odds are against her.
I could say so much more about the relationships and plot in this book, but I'll leave it there. I want to leave lots of surprises.
I never expected this book to be as good as it was. I still think about it months later! If you see a copy, please buy it. I paid $30 for my copy from a secondhand bookshop and it's worth every cent. It is considered a collector's item in New Zealand literature, but it is also a really wonderful story.
A highly recommended living book for ages eight and over.