This is the story of the Big House by the Mersey and the people who lived there: the twins Walter and Dorothy, whose father is the butler; Master George, the desperately lonely son of the wealthy owner; and Tweeny, the little maid treated hardly better than a slave. In a way the house belongs to all of them, though the lives of the servants and masters couldn’t be more different. When disaster strikes and Master George needs help, the four children find refuge in the branches of a beautiful chestnut tree in the grounds of the house and there create a daring plot to help him escape to a new world.

Review: Sandwiched between the death of King Edward VII and the outbreak of World War I, The Sailing Ship Tree is a moving tale of friendship across the social divide, drawing extensively on the memories of Doherty’s own father. The story is seen primarily through the eyes of young Dorothy, with the perspectives of Master George and the Tweeny providing periodic counterpoint. This adds warm ironic humour and keeps the reader guessing as we are shown only part of the picture and are enticed to read on. As always, Doherty’s characterisation is strong and sympathetic; the inner lives of her characters showing precisely that “emotional honesty” for which Philip Pullman has commended her.

“If we know our place, and the gentry know theirs, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t get along very well.” (p. 17) The words of the twins’ mother early in the book express one of its key themes. Life around the Big House is founded on rigid class distinctions, where the servants speak only when spoken to and the gentry rarely even look at them. Without slipping into harsh caricatures, Doherty’s tale gently challenges these differing expectations between rich and poor, male and female, from Miss Caroline’s unexpected but ultimately happy elopement, to the portrayal of Australia, a land of bright new hope where “they’re all equal” (p. 211).

With its short chapters and episodic structure, this is an accessible and engaging introduction to the early years of the twentieth century for confident readers in KS2 and beyond. It would make an excellent addition to primary history stocks or simply an enjoyable read in its own right.

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2008-08-12