Selina Penaluna is a merrymaid – or so she believes. Abandoned by her mother, abused by her father, she desperately wants to escape her lonely life. Ellen and Jack are twins, evacuated from East London to Cornwall at the start of the Second World War. Ellen sees an opportunity to better herself, but Jack falls in love with the exquisitely beautiful Selina, and tragedy ensues…

This is definitely a book for older readers. It’s beautifully written, but it deals with uncomfortable issues such as abuse, ingratitude, and emotional deprivation. The story is told from several different perspectives across a wide age range, and there is real insight and depth in the descriptions of the behaviour of the characters. From the shallow, selfish Cassie, to the deprived and abused Selina to the anxious-to-please Ellen, no character is a stereotype, and each has his or her problems with which to contend.

The secrecy involved means that misunderstandings are rife – not in a comic sense, but because the characters have insufficient information to understand one another’s motivations. The book makes a good case for honesty, but also shows why some people find it hard. The story has some excellent mysteries in it, all of them intertwined and explained at the end. When the Rosewarnes take on Jack and Ellen, it is because they have lost a son of their own, but this isn’t revealed until the end. Jack and Ellen’s real parents die during the Blitz, and the Rosewarnes adopt them. They stifle Jack with their love, and leave Ellen out in the cold. The results of their unbalanced emotions have lasting consequences, and the book is poignant, intelligent and gripping. I couldn’t put it down.

Buy this Book

2008-06-27