The Palace of Strange Girls
| Price: |
$29.99 |
| On Sale: |
8/07/2008 |
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Formats:
Trade Paperback
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It is the annual summer holiday for the cotton industry‚ 1959‚ and the Singletons are on holiday for the week in Blackpool with their daughters sixteen−year−old Helen and Beth. Jack has his relationship with his wife Ruth to contend with and her burning ambition for semi−detached respectability as well as union men to talk to‚ and a letter from Crete (where he was stationed during the war) to consider‚ but at all costs keep hidden.
Ruth has had enough of living cheek−by− jowl with families who have no sense of proper etiquette or French cuisine and don′t even scrub their dustbins every week‚ but her greatest fear is for little Beth‚ who has had heart surgery and therefore‚ Ruth believes‚ will surely die. Helen only longs to get away from her strict and stifling mother‚ wear lovely clothes and meet boys.
Seven−year−old Beth is kept very busy with her I−Spy Book of the Seaside‚ and befriending the hotel dog. She is also obsessed with a sign for the freak show on the prom‚ and is secretly practicing her snarling and leaping so that she too can be a Tiger Woman ...
Beth′s longing to belong to a club of any kind has an extraordinary poignancy whose hold is only strengthened as the novel progresses and we understand exactly what lies behind the brusque and seemingly unloving exterior of her mother.
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Reader Reviews from First Look
An absorbing view into the life of a post-war family... Each character is so vivid and identifiable that we follow their trials with curiosity and sympathy.
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Sharon (Beaumont Hills, NSW)
An absorbing view into the life of a post-war family... Each character is so vivid and identifiable that we follow their trials with curiosity and sympathy.
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Sharon (Beaumont Hills, NSW)
Sallie Day’s stirring descriptions of the town and its associated attractions and distractions take us back to that time with consummate ease. Her characters have real depth and she conveys their emotions and feelings so well that their joys, fears, insecurities, frustrations and guilt are palpable. This story will resonate with anyone who grew up in the late fifties. If they did that growing up in England, the mention of the various household names from that time will evoke the sights, sounds, tastes and smells of their childhood. This expertly crafted story takes some unexpected turns and keeps the reader captivated. The excerpts from I-Spy at the Seaside which head each chapter are echoed in that chapter: a delightful touch. Altogether a brilliant read!
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Marianne (Thirroul, NSW)
I read this book in one sitting as I got swept up in a holiday reminiscent of my youth. The characters were totally believable and the 'I-Spy' book theme was cleverly woven throughout the story. A great ending to the story - strong and somewhat unexpected.
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Jennie (Springwood, NSW)
"The Palace of Strange Girls" is a beguiling, engrossing story of a family ... Family dynamics are rarely so naturally and lovingly portrayed. A surprising and entertaining read!
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Kel (Mt Pleasant, QLD)
... this novel may have been set in 1959, but the author has selected themes that has just as much resonance and relevance today. You ache for young Beth and Helen who are yearning to break free from their mother’s ties and strait- laced ideals. Jack’s desires to please everyone threaten to pull him apart, and the whole Blackpool holiday society is on the brink of massive upheaval and change. I enjoyed this book; it was a glimpse into a past that no longer exists, which seems oddly familiar.
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Claire (Mooroolbark, VIC)
Sallie Day's novel is mesmerising in its ability to entice readers into the lives of those living in another time and place. The setting may be different from what is familiar to the reader, but as the story unfolds and we begin to understand the characters more we realise that many similarities exist between the Singleton family and the secrets and lies that are hidden away with all the other skeletons in the closet that we inevitably possess.
An enchanting story told with charming poignancy.
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Nichole (Earlwood, NSW)
Sallie Day has the gift of breathing life into her characters – readers will recognise these people. ... From the first few lines, this book had me wanting to read more.
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Wendy (Wahroonga, NSW)
The first few pages transport you to the Belvedere hotel before you can say ‘kiss me quick’. You can almost smell the bacon grease and floral disinfectant and so well described is seven year old Beths feelings and curiosity that it’s easy to see it all through her eyes. ... As I read the last page and closed the book I really wished that I could turn back time and be on page one again, with the whole book yet to discover. A brilliant, brilliant read.
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Lindsay (Lilyfield Sydney, NSW)
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The Palace Of Strange Girls
It is the annual summer holiday for the cotton industry‚ 1959‚ and the Singletons are on holiday for the week in Blackpool with their daughters sixteen−year−old Helen and Beth. Jack has his relationship with his wife Ruth to contend with and her burning ambition for...
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