Katherine Rundell (Rooftoppers) once again demonstrates her ability to weave a story with a strong, determined female character.
Wilhelmina Silver has grown up the daughter of an English caretaker on a farm in Zimbabwe. On the farm, Will developed a talent for making friends with both humans and animals. She liked to be dusty and wet ("Dust and rain made mud. Mud was full of possibilities"). Will and her best friend, Simon ("a stretched-catapult of a boy, the scourge of the stables"), go on daily adventures with monkeys, horses and other animals. When her father dies, Captain Browne, the owner of the farm, is convinced by his new wife that it's not a proper place for a girl and Will is sent off to the Leewood School in London. Her parting from Captain Browne (and Simon) will break readers' hearts. At school, Will can't make sense of her new surroundings or the rituals ("where girls sat two by two in rows of spite"). She runs away, using her skills to navigate London, and makes a new friend. Eventually, she finds herself back at school, learning to build a bridge between her life in Zimbabwe and her new life in London.
Rundell's storytelling is magical. She creates a feisty, resilient female character who could have walked right out of a Dickens novel. This one's for readers who appreciate the classic elements of storytelling with a twist. --Susannah Richards, associate professor, Eastern Connecticut State University