The Month of the Brittle Star
- Kirsten Edwards
- Mar 28, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 6
Author: Eileen L. Soper Illustrator: Ione Todd
From the back flap: "The Month of the Brittle Star is more than just a charming story by a gifted writer. The very words 'brittle star" - a shining thing easily broken - have a meaning other than that of a starfish. The story is a study in loyalty in which the indecision and struggle of a girl on the brink of adolescence are skilfully shown. And although the island setting and the time is of an unhurried era that has passed in New Zealand, the people are realistically drawn, warm, and very human. Once again, too, the author indicates her sympathetic awareness of how fleeting is the period of youth."
We’ve already reviewed Soper’s delightful debut, Young Jane (1955). Nearly twenty years later, now in retirement, she returns with The Month of the Brittle Star, and the wait proves worthwhile. Her voice has matured: the prose is richer, the settings more vivid, and the characters breathe with quiet authenticity.
We’re whisked to Stewart Island for a sun-drenched summer holiday. Clair, on the cusp of adolescence, is staying with relatives. She quickly bonds with a cousin, until another girl her age arrives, putting that new friendship to the test.
Soper’s descriptions of the island are pure enchantment: windswept beaches, hidden coves, and the hush of native bush. Ione Todd’s delicate black-and-white line drawings appear throughout, perfectly complementing the text.
This is a gentle, innocent tale of friendship, family, first swims in cold water, and the small dramas of growing up. There’s nothing here to alarm parents; just wholesome nostalgia.
Highly recommended for girls aged 10 and up.
A Note on the Author: Eileen Soper (known to friends as “Dot”) was a beloved New Zealand journalist and children’s book reviewer for the Otago Witness and later the Otago Daily Times. Not to be confused with the English illustrator of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five—our Dot wrote just two children’s novels: Young Jane and this gem. Full biography here.
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