This is a delightful story set in a small Welsh village in the 1950's. Gwennie is our precocious child narrator who is trying to make sense of her very odd family and the world around her. Gwennie believes she can fly in her sleep and it is on these night-time travels that allows her to see what is going on in the village .

I loved this story and a touch reminiscent of Mark Haddon's novel 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time' . Full of quirky characters and beautifully written.

Highly recommended , definitely an author to watch!!

Please note the cover is different to that shown as this is an Australian edition published by Text.

Reserving for the OZ VBB

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

TQD has requested this book from the OZ VBB. Packed and ready to post tomorrow morning. I hope you enjoy this book as I did.

Chosen from the Oz VBB on the strength of a great review! Thanks jeniwren, this one will go on the wobbling Mt TBR, but hopefully I'll get to it sooner rather than later!

UPDATE 25 September 2009: And this is now being reserved for j4shaw, who has "shamelessly" begged it. :) - j4shaw has found another copy.

Twelve year old Gwenni lives in a small Welsh village during the middle of last century, and believes she can fly in her dreams - and that once she could fly while awake, and she's continuously trying to recapture that skill. She narrates the story with a naive charm and a great imagination, and the plot was compelling with many levels of action.

A great tale, I liked the levels of understanding in it (the adults know everything, Gwenni knows stuff but does not understand it, we know what she knows and we understand it). It got a bit melodramatic at times, but overall I thought it was a very good read, one that I was more than happy to return to as the different stories are peeled away to the essential truths beneath.

Thanks very much for the chance to read this, jeniwren! It's now in the possession of my workmate nlr (don't expect a journal entry, she has no time!), and I'll keep it moving when I get it back.

UPDATE 20 May 2011: And it's back with me, I'll keep it moving at the next bookdrinks, I hope!

UPDATE 15 September 2011: Lost this one in a pile of books for a while, but found it, dusted it off, and am offering it up on the Oz VBB.

UPDATE 16 September 2011: And chosen by crimson-tide from the Oz VBB! I'll get it in the post asap.

Popped in the post to crimson-tide.

Happy reading!

Arrived yesterday as a choice from the OZ VBB.
Have heard and read good things about this one.

Thanks tqd.

Agree with the entries above. Unfortunately I took so long to read it in such small chunks due to other things going on that I feel I really didn't do it justice. A quirkily interesting read, full of dark themes, but as seen through Gwenni's eyes they didn't spiral into a mess of hopelessness. Also full of great characters, some awful, but many lovely and caring. I appreciated the realism of the situations and the fact Strachan didn't try to make things right in the end.


My book for Wales for the 2016 Unite the Kingdoms Reading Challenge.
Now reserved as a rabck hitchhiker for another Book Crosser also doing the challenge.
Will need to wait a bit before departure though.

A book for the 2016 Unite the Kingdoms Reading Challenge. Wales! :D

Sounds good. Thanks, crimson-tide.

Left in the library.