“Knowing you are probably going to die in a year or two is like waiting for a train with people you really like seeing you off, and you know you aren’t going to see them ever again. You have so much you want to say to them and the train is due in any moment”

Gussie, a 12-year old girl with a heart-condition has moved with her mum to St. Ives in Cornwall. Gussie really misses her Dad and likes to research her family tree. Dad has stayed in London with his girlfriend – he works in film making. Gussie (short for Augusta) has recently had a major operation and is not yet (and may never be) well enough to go to school. She loves to get out to the beach or the cliffs to study birds and wild life but, due to her poor health, she is often out of breath and exhausted.

Despite all of this Gussie is a fighter and a lover of life and people, especially her best friend, Australian Brett. Gussie uses her time to observe the world around her, her cats, the herring gull learning to fly outside her attic window, the changing colours of the day. Only occasionally does she get frustrated when she wants to go out or visit someone but is physically too ill to go beyond her attic bedroom. If I had to choose one word to describe Gussie it would be “gutsy” because despite the poor cards life has dealt her Gussie is determined to live her life to the full.

This is the sequel to The Burying Beetle but stands up on its own. A poignant and refreshing read. Themes include separation, single-parent families, death and young love.

Winner of the Costa Award Children's Book category 2008

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2008-06-22