The House on The Cliffs

Author: Ruth Dallas Illustrator: Gavin Rowe

From the back cover: "Shane threw his legs over the edge of the cliff, turned, grabbed the rope and began to go down... He was amazed to find Eric only halfway down, pointing urgently along the cliff-face towards something red, further down - a red jersey - Judith Clearwater! What was she doing there, on the side of the cliff...?" Why had Judith tried to climb up the cliff to Biddy Bristow's ramshackle house perched at the top? Perhaps she was hoping to find out if the old woman was really a witch..."

National Library of NZ Entry

Ruth Dallas penned The House on the Cliffs during her Robert Burns Fellowship at the University of Otago, adding another gem to her collection of children’s novels. Unlike her earlier works, this story targets a slightly older readership—likely around 10 and up—and seems tailored, in particular, to young girls.

The back cover offers little hint of the tale within. Judith, the introspective protagonist, lives with her parents in a quiet seaside town. Her practical school friend, Brenda, moves in to escape the isolation of her distant farm home. Judith harbours a fear of Biddy Bristow, a local eccentric she suspects might be a witch. Old Biddy roams the beach with a rake, scavenging for mysterious objects. When curious children ask what she seeks, her cryptic reply—“A bell to ring when the wind blows”—only deepens the enigma.

Judith’s tendency to overthink and feel deeply contrasts with Brenda’s no-nonsense pragmatism, yet their friendship flourishes. The narrative builds to a satisfying climax involving a tense cliff-face rescue, where the riddle of Biddy’s “bell” is finally unraveled.

Beneath the surface, the story weaves subtle themes of loneliness and freedom, suggesting that solitude doesn’t always equate to isolation. Dallas’ signature lyrical prose shines through, with vivid descriptions and a playful command of language, though some dialogue between the girls feels a touch forced. Accompanied by Gavin Rowe’s striking black-and-white illustrations, the book is a delightful read with no content concerns to note.

I recommend The House on the Cliffs for readers aged 10 and older—a charming tale that blends mystery, friendship, and quiet reflection.

Here are examples of pages from the book...

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