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From: Thomson <athomson>
Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2002 21:50:19 +1100
A recent favourite to look out for is WHAT THE BIRDS SEE, by Sonya Hartnett, due out in the US in Feb and UK in Jan. In Australia it is called OF A BOY. It is the story of a lonely 9 year old, living with his grandmother, having difficulties at school, and befriending new neighbours whose mother is dying. The baCkdrop is a recent dissappearance of 3 siblings, on their way to the shops near the boy's house. (This incident is based on a true story from the seventies - the children were never found).
I heard Hartnett talking about this book last weekend. She said she really tried hard to remember what it was like to be 9 - then had to correct herself: she didn't have to try hard as she vividly remembers being nine and lonely.
It's a shame so few Hartnett books are available outside Australia. I heard a bookseller introduce THURSDAY'S CHILD as "dark, but not as dark as her other books". I think her books are developing more light, along with the shade. FOREST (2001) is my favourite so far, a tale of domestic cats dumped in the forest and determined to regain their territory. In her hands, great stuff.
Marita Thomson athomson at acay.com.au
Received on Thu 19 Dec 2002 04:50:19 AM CST
Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2002 21:50:19 +1100
A recent favourite to look out for is WHAT THE BIRDS SEE, by Sonya Hartnett, due out in the US in Feb and UK in Jan. In Australia it is called OF A BOY. It is the story of a lonely 9 year old, living with his grandmother, having difficulties at school, and befriending new neighbours whose mother is dying. The baCkdrop is a recent dissappearance of 3 siblings, on their way to the shops near the boy's house. (This incident is based on a true story from the seventies - the children were never found).
I heard Hartnett talking about this book last weekend. She said she really tried hard to remember what it was like to be 9 - then had to correct herself: she didn't have to try hard as she vividly remembers being nine and lonely.
It's a shame so few Hartnett books are available outside Australia. I heard a bookseller introduce THURSDAY'S CHILD as "dark, but not as dark as her other books". I think her books are developing more light, along with the shade. FOREST (2001) is my favourite so far, a tale of domestic cats dumped in the forest and determined to regain their territory. In her hands, great stuff.
Marita Thomson athomson at acay.com.au
Received on Thu 19 Dec 2002 04:50:19 AM CST
