I recognized the name of the illustrator, Peggy Fortnum, but could not immediately identify her other work (more than 65 books, it turns out). One is also glad that the Prestons, her kind foster parents, will have an improved relationship with Anna in the future. The reader, who always knew that the adults in Anna’s life cared about her, is reassured that moving forward Anna will no longer be an isolated observer from the sidelines. Anna wasn’t exactly plucky to begin with – she is sullen and somewhat despairing when the story begins but her maturation is both convincing and heartwarming. The author’s description of Anna’s fey friendship with Marnie is contrasted convincingly with the outgoing Lindsay family which embraces Anna and gives her the confidence she desperately needs.
Add some time travel or time slip* and I am delighted.
What I liked: I always enjoy books about mysterious houses in the (usually) English country and am even more devoted to stories about plucky orphans (as if you hadn't guessed). The outgoing Lindsay family that moves into the old house on the creek after Marnie disappears for good completes the process, showing Anna what it is like to be part of a large and lively family and helping her come to terms with her foster parents and the birth family she feels abandoned her. Although her friendship with Marnie is not without sadness (which she does not understand), it helps prickly Anna learn how to be a friend and how to accept affection. As in Tom’s Midnight Garden, the loneliness of two children in the same place but many years apart results in a friendship that transcends time. When Marnie is there, she is the perfect friend – she is imaginative and comes up with great games – but the reader guesses she is not real and the locals think Anna is talking to herself. Exploring the area, she is entranced by the Marsh House on a creek nearby and by Marnie, an outgoing girl her age who appears and disappears mysteriously from the house. Plot: Lonely Anna, an inarticulate orphan who lives with a kindly older couple who do not understand her, goes to stay in Norfolk with their friends after being ill with asthma.
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