Not quite sure how Michelle Magorian does it, but she touches my heart every time. I had never heard of this until someone said that they tried to re-read it every year because it was life affirming. Having read and loved "Goodnight Mr Tom", and some of her others, I took a chance on this one, and loved it.
Rose is 17 and still at school - her sister Diana is 21 and the beauty of the family. They don't really like each other very much, and then in 1943 they are sent away to the coast for three months, out of danger, whilst their widowed mother joins an ENSA troupe to entertain UK troups overseas. Rose discovers several things in those three months - the diary of a lady who lived in the cottage once; puppy love is not always the way you think; your sister is a nice woman; and you can grow up almost overnight. If ever there was a book I would have wanted to read at 14/15 - this is it. But it wasn't written then. In an easy to read manner, Magorian will introduce Rose to sex, to friendship outside her normal circle and many other things that would stand her in good stead. It's a lovely story - with a few tears to shed along the way, wonderful descriptions of happenings which seemed to me just exactly right. A glorious and quick Summer read that I hope will stay with you the way its going to stay with me.
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