Saffy's angel (by Hilary McKay)

(Amazon UK link)

A month or so ago I decided to reread the wonderful Casson family series of books for older children by Hilary McKay. Instead of starting with the one that was published first, I reread the prequel, ‘Caddy’s world’, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

So it was time to reread ‘Saffy’s Angel’, originally the first in the series, and the one which made me fall in love with these books. Because it was the first to be written, it doesn't continue a lot of the threads in the prequel, and there's no mention of Caddy's close friends. I first read ‘Saffy’s Angel’ in 2011 and don’t know why I hadn’t reread it before now. However, the fourteen year gap ensured that I had mostly forgotten the story and the outcome, so I enjoyed it afresh.

The book opens when Saffy is eight, searching for her name on the colour chart that is affixed to the kitchen wall. She wasn’t an early reader, and she hasn’t really thought about it until now. And she has no idea, until she persuades her mother to talk to her, that she was adopted. She is the birth daughter of her adopted mother’s twin sister who died in a car accident when Saffy was three. 

Saffy has been treated as a family member since she arrived in the family, and only her older sister Caddy (Cadmium) remembers her arrival. Their brother Indigo is a couple of years younger than Saffy, and the baby, Rose, was born later still. Rose was the subject of a lot of concern as a newborn - a story covered in ‘Caddy’s World’ - but now is as healthy as anyone. 

The Cassons have quite a bohemian, chaotic lifestyle. The father is an artist who spends most of the week in a flat in London. He tries to impose order on the family when he’s there, but doesn’t get very far. His wife is also an artist, who spends a lot of her time in the shed at the end of the garden, producing pictures which are quite popular. But she forgets to cook, and rarely bothers with housework. So the children have learned to be quite self-sufficient.

The main story takes place when Caddy is seventeen and beginning driving lessons, and Saffy is thirteen. She’s had ongoing dreams of a white-tiled place with a stone angel, and it becomes something of an obsession with her. However it’s not until she befriends her wheelchair-bound neighbour Sarah that events are taken out of her control, and she’s able to return to her original birthplace. 

There are plenty of sideline stories too. I was amused at Caddy’s terrible attempts at driving, while she tries to attract the attention of her young, good-looking instructor. I was also amused at Rose’s ongoing ideas about creating original art, some more successful than others. And quite impressed by Indigo’s attempts to teach himself to be less fearful, because he wants to be a polar explorer when he grows up. 

It’s not a long book, as it’s intended for the 11-14 age-group; it’s just 150 pages in my paperback. As well as not recalling the plot, I had forgotten that it’s an American edition until I was jolted by words like ‘math’ and ‘rotary’. When said by very British children and teens, these words felt oddly inappropriate, like the cultural equivalent of an anachronism. However, it’s a minor gripe, and certainly not the fault of the author. 

The story itself is paced exactly right, with just the right balance of humour and pathos. Once I had started reading, I found it extremely difficult to put down. I hadn’t remembered how Saffy goes to search for her angel, nor whether it was eventually discovered. So it was a most enjoyable journey for me, rediscovering this excellent book.

I would recommend this highly to fluent readers of about nine and up - and it would probably make an excellent read-aloud too. Children who have enjoyed the ‘Bagthorpe saga’ (about another rather chaotic family) might like ‘Saffy’s Angel’. But it stands alone, and I feel should almost be considered a modern classic. 

Very highly recommended.

Review copyright 2025 Sue's Book Reviews

Authentic relationships (by Wayne and Clay Jacobsen)

(Amazon UK link)

It’s a long time since I read most of the books by the Christian writer Wayne Jacobsen, all of which I found thought-provoking and inspiring. I last read ‘Authentic relationships’ in 2009, so it was more than time for a reread.

This book actually has two authors; Clay Jacobsen is Wayne Jacobsen’s brother, and the introduction explains that they wrote the book together. But instead of alternating chapters or anecdotes, they write as if one person, combining their expertise and experience. And it works extremely well.

The subtitle of this book is: ‘discover the lost art of “one anothering”’. And that’s exactly what it sets out to do. The authors have take a selection of phrases from the New Testament which include the phrase ‘one another’. They suggest that a large percentage of the church has become so caught up in rituals and private devotions that we have missed Jesus’ mission to reach out to each other, and those around us, in love.

There are anecdotes throughout to illustrate their points. They begin with an introduction, demonstrating how lonely people can be, and how we tend to see each other as being self-sufficient. Too many of us try to portray that we are comfortable, in charge of our lives, and that we don’t need any help. Perhaps our Christian brothers and sisters rally round when there’s a sudden crisis. But there are ongoing needs: unemployment, caring for elderly relatives, single parenthood, and so much more. 

The first chapter looks at the summary verse, ‘love one another’, which is supposed to be the primary mark of Christians, and a way that others will know who we are. The authors make the point that we love because God loved us, so we need to know his presence and grace before we can demonstrate it to others. But they also remind us that we should offer practical care, listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit as we meet and interact with those around us. 

The book is in four main sections. The first is the most basic, outlining what it means to love, to accept and forgive, and to honour each other. The suggestions are straightforward, perhaps obvious; there’s nothing I haven’t come across elsewhere. But it’s always good to be reminded of these things, and I found a lot of the stories and suggestions both encouraging and motivating. 

The second section is more about reaching out into the community. There are chapters on being hospitable, sharing with each other, serving and building each other up. Again, the anecdotes and examples are quite inspiring. The writing is good, and feels seamless too - there’s no way of knowing where one Jacobsen brother stops and another starts. I’m not good at initiating new friendships, and some of these chapters were quite challenging.

The third section, then, is about sharing the journey with others, and the fourth, shortest section is about deeper relationships. This includes the importance of confessing to each other (when appropriate and helpful), acknowledging our failings and faults rather than trying to look better than we are. It also includes a useful section about submitting to each other. This is not in the sense of doing whatever someone else wants, but more along the lines of submitting a paper to an editor, or proof-reader. 

The authors give examples of people who submit their ideas and visions to a group of church leaders, or to their fellowship group, for discussion and comment. But in the end, as the authors remind us, we must listen to God ourselves and follow his leading, even if it goes against the advice of those around us. Submitting involves listening, and perhaps being prepared to debate a point, or make some changes. But it doesn’t mean giving someone else the authority to tell us what to do.

The authors recommend using this book in a study group, and as such have discussion questions at the end of each chapter. I can see that it might be useful, either as part of a regular fellowship group, or for a few people to meet specifically to cover the topics in the book. However I mostly ignored the questions as I was doing this on my own. I read one chapter a day over a couple of weeks, and would recommend it highly to anyone interested in the concept of Christian community, in the broadest sense. 

Review copyright 2025 Sue's Book Reviews

These old shades (by Georgette Heyer)

(Amazon UK link)

The author whose books I re-read most often is Georgette Heyer. She wrote some 20th century detective/crime fiction novels, but the bulk of her work was in historical fiction. It’s mostly set amongst the upper classes, and generally features a romance. Her characterisation is excellent, and her plots very cleverly contrived.

It’s only six years since I last read ‘These old shades’. It’s a book I acquired in 1987, and I had already read it five times, so the overall story was familiar to me. Set in France in the middle of the 18th century, the arrogant, promiscuous Duke of Avon buys a ragged-looking boy - who is in fact nearly twenty - as a page. This lad, known as Leon, rapidly becomes devoted to the duke, and is taken everywhere with him. 

There’s a secret behind Leon’s identity, and another one which the duke is aware of almost from the start. But it would be spoilers to say what this is. The first time I read the book, I was quite surprised at the first revelation, although it happens fairly early in the book. The second time I don’t think I recalled it. But I knew it was coming this time, and it didn’t actually spoil my enjoyment in any way; indeed, I was watching out for signs of what I knew was coming.

The darker secret that the duke holds is quite an unpleasant one, both in his original motivation, and in the eventual showdown near the end of the book. The duke is not portrayed as a hero, or even a particularly likeable man. And yet, with Heyer’s genius, we start to see him through Leon’s eyes - and, in the face of such apparently naive adoration, he begins to develop some more admirable traits. And he always had a sense of humour.

There are some very enjoyable family scenes; Avon has a delightful sister, Lady Fanny, who is married to quite a staid (but wise) man. He also has a brother, Rupert, whom he isn’t very fond of at the start of the book. But Rupert shows a lot of courage and ingenuity, and earns his brother’s gratitude and admiration. There are some quite amusing scenes when the family convene on an inn, and they discuss what exactly he has done, and what has happened to an unfortunate man’s horse…

There’s a delightful curé who plays a small but significant part in the story. He’s the parish priest in a small French village, and has mostly distanced himself from the world. But even he has heard of the Duke of Avon’s reputation. However, this does not stop him from having a very enjoyable discussion with him, as they try to solve some problems and find out more about the past. 

While I had recalled the outline of the plot and the main characters, I had mostly forgotten the details. As each new scene was introduced, my memories came back slowly. But Heyer’s writing is so good that I could probably read some of her books every year and still appreciate them and smile at some of the phrasing. 

‘These old shades’ was one of Heyer’s earlier novels, but still reads very well and demonstrates her tremendous gift of characterisation, and her impeccable research. She places her people and situations in real historic situations, with authentic clothes, actions and conversation. And she has quite unlikely heroes and heroines; the Duke of Avon is one of the most unlikely, but she still manages to make him quite appealing by the end - and that notwithstanding his terrible need for revenge that leads to quite an unpleasant climax to the book. 

I think this would make quite a good introduction to Heyer’s historical writing, although it’s not one of my absolute favourites. 

Review copyright 2025 Sue's Book Reviews

Summer at the lake (by Erica James)

(Amazon UK link)

On the whole, I very much like Erica James’ novels, and am glad I decided to reread them. I last read ‘Summer at the lake’ in 2015, and had entirely forgotten it. But I knew that I liked it. I always like rereading a book which I know I’m going to enjoy - assuming my tastes have not changed too much. 

The first person we meet is a young woman called Floriana. She is feeling quite agitated over an unexpected invitation to ‘save the date’ for a wedding. We don’t learn who Seb, the groom, is, exactly, until rather later in the book. But it’s clear that he and Floriana had a strong connection in the past. They haven’t spoken in a couple of years, and she really doesn’t know how to respond. 

And as she walks home from her tour guide job in Oxford, pondering about her family and about this unexpected invitation, she walks blindly into the road… and the next thing she knows, an ambulance is approaching.

Two of the people who come to Floriana’s aid when she has her accident are a young man called Adam, and an elderly woman called Esme. Adam, who is a property developer, is just going through a possible breakup with his long-term girlfriend. So he’s feeling quite stressed. Esme is a bit of a hermit; she lives alone with her cat, and rarely goes anywhere other than to the local shop. But Esme feels quite drawn to Floriana, and Adam is a thoroughly likeable person who usually wants to do the right thing. 

Adam and Esme exchange phone numbers, and even manage to visit Floriana in hospital, pretending to be relatives. And so an unlikely three-way friendship begins. The two younger characters bring some life to Esme’s rather predictable, safe existence. And she starts to tell some of the story of her past…

The second part of the story happens when all three make a trip to Lake Como in Italy. Floriana is there to attend Seb’s wedding. Esme is there because she wants to find out what happened to some people she knew when she travelled there with her artist father as a young woman. And Adam is there because they need a driver, and because Esme wants to do a bit of matchmaking. 

They’re all distinct, three-dimensional characters, nicely drawn and realistic. Then there’s some well-written and believable conversation as they get to know each other. Seb is an important person in Floriana’s life - or was, until he cut her off. But when they meet in Oxford, she isn’t entirely sure what to expect. So there are several subplots running alongside each other: does Floriana love Seb, or is she ready to move on? Will Esme learn anything about the people she is looking for? Will the three of them manage to get along well, staying in lodgings together? Will Seb be happy married to the rather self-centred Imogen?

It’s quite a long book, nearly 400 pages in my hardback edition, and it was a busy week so it took me several days to finish it. But when I had the chance to sit down to read, I found the story engrossing. The three main characters started to get under my skin; since I had entirely forgotten the story I had no idea whether Adam and Floriana would get together eventually, nor whether Esme would find anything or anyone from her past. 

The scenes set in both Oxford and in Italy feel entirely authentic, without being overtly educational. The author makes it clear in a brief introduction the beginning that she is familiar with both places, and did quite a bit of research too. 

There are some surprises in the novel, including two quite dramatic scenes that I was not expecting, as well as some more relaxing, somewhat predictable parts of this book. The balance works well, and as someone who appreciates character-driven novels, I liked it very much.

As a bonus, I don’t think there was any bad language at all, and there are no explicit scenes. Overall I thought this a lovely book, one which would make a good introduction to Erica James’ writing, even though it isn’t quite as enjoyable as my favourite of her novels (‘Precious time’). 

Review copyright 2025 Sue's Book Reviews

Excitements at the Chalet School (by Elinor M Brent-Dyer)

(Amazon UK link)

In my gradual re-reading of Elinor M Brent-Dyer's 'Chalet School' series, I’ve reached the Swiss era, which is probably my least favourite. However, there are some gems still, such as ‘New Mistress at the Chalet School’, which I re-read in April. I’ve now finished the one after ‘New Mistress’, one which I recalled as somewhat run-of-the mill without remembering any of the details. 

‘Excitements for the Chalet School’ is 38th in the original series. I last read it nearly ten years ago. I have a hardback version which my mother acquired from a charity shop some decades ago, but it's not that different from the Armada paperback, which had just minor cuts. Bizarrely, while the outside of my book says 'Excitements for...', on the inside it's titled 'Excitements at the Chalet School', and that's the name used in both the abridged Armada paperbacks and the Girls Gone By full editions. 

This book is mainly about the form ‘Inter V’ - a kind of intermediate class, youngest of the seniors, which is in its second term. Miss Ferrars, the ‘new mistress’ is more confident, and they mostly like her.

The first chapter sees the prefects chatting about the girls in Inter V, after one of them has arranged an afternoon of PE for them, with somewhat amusing results. The second chapter sees Inter V themselves, having a meeting to protest the interference of a girl from Va who told them to be quiet. But nothing much transpires.

Several of them are happy because the snow has stopped (this is the winter term), and they’re going to be able to go skiing and sledging. This happens… once. 

Joey Maynard calls some of the staff to a meeting, to let them know that it’s almost 21 years since the Chalet School started. She suggests having some big celebrations, and the staff decide to ask for ideas from the girls.

Then there’s a comment about one of the girls using the adjective ‘marvellous’ all the time; the Head asks her to find alternatives. So her sister and friends use a thesaurus to find other words, some of them quite unusual, and they start to use them. At least, they do in one chapter, but nothing really comes of it.

Oh, and someone from the distant past appears near the Chalet School. She comes to visit the school heads, and asks if she can have a part-time teaching job. She is offered it, although several of the staff (and Joey) predict disaster. And… nothing comes of it. 

There’s the inevitable chapter about a half-term visit - somewhat interesting but obviously educational - and there’s a chapter about the St Mildred’s pantomime. There’s a potential disaster at the end of it, and one of the girls is hailed as a heroine, but that rather peters out too. 

Somehow, it’s all a bit disjointed. Each chapter is more-or-less complete in itself, with hints of more to come. But the only subplot which runs through the entire book is that of the coming-of-age celebrations. Some of the girls have excellent ideas, including group photos, and the plan is to get in touch with all past pupils, to invite them for a long weekend. 

It’s still very readable, in my opinion. I found it easy to pick up for a chapter or two, and also easy to put down when I had to do other things. I like the continuity of the characters (some of them, anyway) and I don’t mind reading a book like this which doesn’t have much plot. I was mildly amused at the end when there’s a discussion about whether or not the term was exciting; evidently the author thought it was, given the title. But it seemed to me a rather un-exciting term, filling the gap between ‘New Mistress’ and the ‘Coming of Age’ book which follows it. 

Recommended, on the whole, if you love the series and like to read the books in order. But it’s not one to dip into at random, and definitely not one to introduce someone to the series. The link above is to an Armada paperback version in Amazon's marketplace; hardbacks or full GGBP second-hand editions are often very expensive, and with so few changes, there's little point paying a huge amount for them. 

Intended originally for teenagers, this is more likely to appeal to adults like me who loved these books as a child, or perhaps older children who like school stories and are looking for more. 

Review copyright 2025 Sue's Book Reviews