Author: Mabel Esther Allan
Publication: Walker and Company, hardcover, 1976
Genre: YA Suspense
Setting: 20th century England
My Impression: Fennel’s inheritance consists of three small islands in a northwestern estuary. One is basically a rock, one has some grazing, and the largest has a house, the ruins of an old Abbey, four cottages rented to mainland families, and one inhabited by a caretaker. The ebb and flow of the tide that cuts off Great Seal Island from the mainland is very dramatic and reminds me of Enid Blyton’s Adventure series, although this is not one of MAE’s strongest titles. Shy Fennel is forced to grow up fast when she takes possession of her great aunt’s dilapidated house which has rats and no hot water. She realizes her first optimistic idea about turning the house into a B&B might have been overly ambitious. An orphan herself, Fennel also feels a sense of responsibility toward Ceiredwen, who lost her father several years earlier and turns out to be an ardent Welsh nationalist, as he was.
Luckily, the girls are not completely alone: Sue grew up in an orphanage but has a boyfriend at university and Fennel meets a charming young teacher, Michael, who knows the islands because his family uses a cottage as a birdwatching base. Michael takes the girls’ concerns seriously without bossing them around and Fennel is soon smitten:
I might be in love now. I found myself thinking of Michael a good deal, especially just before I fell asleep. But it wasn’t a week since we had first met [editor’s note – it never is, in MAE land!] I certainly couldn’t talk about it, even to Sue.I always like that MAE’s heroines are working girls and, while she may include romance, the “right” hero lends a hand, rather than stifling the main character’s independence. Even Alex, who does not sound impressive from Sue’s description shows up and turns out to be less comfortable and more dynamic than expected!
“Well, sometimes I wonder if I am. I only know I can live happily without Alex for a time. I love being here!” Sue said almost passionately. “I like being free, and starting to fix the house, and quite soon I’m going to write again. I adore your islands, Fenny, and I even find the mystery exciting. If we’re in danger . . . well, I don’t understand it, but I mean to . . . .“
“Alex is all right,” Sue said. “He’s not wildly exciting, but anyway, that kind of thing doesn’t last. Maybe I’ll settle for comfortable marriage. But that isn’t going to bother me now. Alex can get on with his work and I’ll get on with mine. I must have my own money; all women should have that.”
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| Mabel Esther Allan |
Links: Bookfinder.com * WorldCat
This is my sixteenth book for the Cloak and Dagger Challenge.
I want to inherit an island with a house on it! What a fun sounding story. :)
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of this author before, but will look her up.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to hearing about your visit to the University of Southern Mississippi. Where is it in the state?
ReplyDeleteNearly every bookish inheritance sounds interesting, Lark, don't they? Lately, I seem to come across a lot that involve cleaning and bringing a neglected home back to life or turning into a money-making venture.
ReplyDeleteJeanne, Mabel Esther Allan was more popular in England than in the US but quite a few of her books were published here and my library had a good 10 or so. I really like The Ballet Family and We Danced in Bloomsbury Square if you ever come across either one.
Tracy, I would like to visit USM in the fall. USM is in Hattiesburg and I have only been to Oxford when my father was on sabbatical there. Then I would like to visit Birmingham on my way home, but it is too soon to make plans.
I haven't been to Birmingham proper in many years, but the areas around Birmingham are all gorgeous, green and lush with trees. I suppose you are used to that where you live, but in California, especially Southern California, it is dry and yellow and brown. Santa Barbara is close, but not the same.
ReplyDeleteI have cousins who live in a small town in Mississippi (Batesville) but I have never visited any of the larger towns and cities.
The idea of receiving a spooky or tumbledown or other mysterious house as legacy is always so intriguing! I realize that dozens of books have been written about this, especially of the Gothic lit variety, but it really always catches my eye. This looks to have been a very enjoyable read, and one of those "YA" reads that would appeal to older readers as well.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a delightful read with just the right amount of adventure and romance.
ReplyDeleteYour comment about the Jeff Davis bio was funny but also sad, particularly in light of America's continued inability to deal with the Civil War and why it happened and who "won", etc. You know, I might have even read that biography as a kid. My library had a huge shelf of them and I used to read them one after another. The only female bio that I recall was for Betsy Ross. Thankfully kids have access to a broader look at history now and who was important and why.
Ruthiella, I read every single one of those Childhood Biographies too. There actually were a fair number about girls - Amelia Earhart, Kansas Girl; Jane Addams, Lame Girl, and one about Mary Todd Lincoln in which she was obsessed with getting a hoop skirt. However, my mother put her foot down when I read one about Robert E. Lee and emerged without knowing about his role in the Civil War, and said I was ready for real biographies!
ReplyDeleteThere is an old-fashioned novel about Jefferson Davis' wife Varina called The Proud Way that my mother had growing up (it's good although does not adequately explain what she saw in this man who was 18 years older). I mentioned it to someone a couple years ago who told me she was a descendant of Varina Davis. Amazingly, I found another copy of the book but of course do not remember who it was.