Description
1916. As The Great War rages overseas, eleven-year-old Lorna Whittle and her four sisters fight their own battles in the heart of Tasmania’s Midlands.
Left with their cold and distant mother while their gentle father heads to war, the Whittle girls unleash their mischief amongst the wild countryside surrounding their grandparent’s farmhouse —painting cows, brewing stink bombs, and waging war on rules of every kind. But when their father’s first letter arrives, Lorna begins to suspect they’ve been told a lie. Could it be that their father isn’t fighting on the battlegrounds of Europe after all? Then comes the mysterious new governess — French, flawless, and far too curious about the Whittles’ lives. Why has she come to Australia? And what connection could she possibly have to their missing father?
Set against the stark beauty of the Midlands, this haunting mystery entwines unexpected twists and turns in a story that celebrates love, forgiveness, and the bonds of sisterhood. A wonderful, funny and heartwarming tale from the multi-award winning author of Aster’s Good, Right Things.
Review
Set in a rugged and harsh part of Tasmania in 1916, this story is told from the perspective of Lorna Whittle, aka Lark, and is this terrific adventure.
Lark is the middle of five sisters, who cause bedlam at every opportunity. Their gentle father, who always has his head in books, encourages their quest for adventure and their ruffian ways. Their mother just wants them to turn into ladies and to banish their nonsense. She is struggling with baby Alice, and Lark wants more for her baby sister.
Their world changes when their father goes off to war, to prove himself as a brave man, and they all move to the Midlands to live with their grandparents. But Lark is certain that her father has not actually gone to war, as his temperament would not permit it.
Unable to reign her wild girls in, their mother hires Arielle, a French governess, to teach them deportment and manners so they can turn out to be young ladies. But Arielle is not all that she seems, and she encourages the girls to follow their dreams and be the best people that they each desire to be.
But is their father really at war? And, if so, will he return to the family who adore him?
Full of family secrets, wild adventures, totally different but equally remarkable female characters, and set in Tasmania during World War I, this is a tremendous Australian story. The girls, particularly Lark, are so sassy and determined that they make the story a joy to read. Kate Gordon’s ability to fully utilise the English language is truly masterful. This, however, will make it a somewhat difficult read for most primary readers, but those who are up for the challenge will love it! A great book that is best suited to readers aged 11 to 14 years.
