REVIEW BY BABS SIMPSON ON SHOW 17TH JUNE
Gussie is a 12yr old girl settling into a new life in a wind-swept cottage on the cliffs above St Ives. She is a great character with a true zest for life and an extremely enquiring mind. She is interested in everything from beetles and birds to people but Gussie is living under a terrible cloud. She has a very serious heart condition and without heart and lung transplant, is destined to die tragically young.
Her mother has brought her from London to Cornwall because the winters are milder and they are currently renting the cliff-top cottage but Gussie is longing for the day when they move down to St Ives and she will meet other children.
In the meantime, she packs every day as full as she can and the book is written in her voice – random thoughts, events, sightings of dolphins, sunsets, anything and everything that happens.
She is thoroughly delightful child with a wry sense of humour and a brilliant turn of phrase and the knowledge that she might not reach adulthood makes the reading of her story very poignant.
However, there is nothing self-pitying about Gussie. She gets on with life to the absolute utmost of her limited abilities and is a real joy to get to know as the book unfolds.
I would recommend this whole-heartedly. I’m obviously decades removed from the mind of a 12yr old but this book is beautifully written and gussie totally loveable.
Don’t miss it!
Review by Babs
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