"My mother Said I never Should play with Gypsies in the wood"... If you know this skipping rhyme then you will know something of this book. If you don't, then you ought read it to find out.
The title is a nice bit of alliteration and it deals with New Zealand society just after World War 1. Dee's father has been killed in the war under mysterious circumstances and Dee's mother and aunt are suffering from consumption, and have been isolated from the community in which they live. Dee has been brought up as a literate free-thinker living an idyllic life by the sea. When the health of her mother and aunt hits crisis point she is shunted into an orphanage, then rescued by a mate of her father and made to work on a farm in the centre of the North Island.
The drama of the book is maintained through the mystery of her father’s death and the fate of her mother and aunt. While the book portrays a heartless and cold New Zealand, Dee herself is a warm and likeable character. Very well written by one of New Zealand's best writers. It would most appeal to Intermediate and Secondary school children.
Published by Longacre Press
Reviewed by Bob
1 comments:
Wonderful book that gives us an idea of what it was like to live in NZ just after the war.
Papakowhai School
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