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| Anne Fine |
| Walker Books |
| 1406301809 |
| May 2007 |
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Innocence and experience are juxtaposed and played off one another with expert brilliance in the relationship Anne Fine develops between Jamie and his favourite soft toy, Angus. Acting as a siphon for the turn of phrase and thoughts that predominate amongst the adults that surround him, Jamie assumes a paternalistic role over Angus, whom as a consequence of transference on the part of Jamie, affects the role and guise of child. Interplay between these shifting identities creates the dynamism and drive for the stories both in the original collection and in this new volume, “Jamie and Angus Together”.
Six new stories see Jamie struggling to protect Angus from the boisterous Bella, learning to paint, taking a post-Christmas, countryside ramble with Uncle Edward, deciding a means for organising his book collection – the one chosen incidentally will have librarians the length and breadth of the country curling their toes in anguish! – and ultimately growing older and the possibility of his feeling a little more distanced from Angus… Character descriptions are swiftly sketched but are memorable and are tinged with the warmth of love and affection under which development flourishes and is best nurtured. A childhood idyll, these are perfect stories about a perfect friend and in whom mutual, unconditional trust and care is shared, perfect for reading aloud and sharing, perfect for young and old alike with their subtle observations on childhood, overall, just perfect! |
Fiction: May 2007 Archives
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| ed. Tony Bradman |
| Francis Lincoln |
| 1845075226 |
| Feb 2007 |
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Composed of eleven individual stories extending from the reaches of the Democratic Republic of Congo to a more familiar London, “Give Me Shelter” provides admirable insight into the lives and struggles of those seeking asylum.
There are stories here outlining the reasons and motivations behind asylum; war, political unrest and instability, the promulgation of racist and prejudiced doctrines. Experiences of those seeking asylum is explored, displacement, cultural, religious and language barriers that impede integration, societal expectations of wholesale assimilation and familial fragmentation. These are juxtaposed against the opinions of nationals, this occurs most startlingly in Gaye Hicyilmaz’ “A nice quiet girl”, based on her own feelings and experiences as a child. Gradual movement towards understanding and towards compassion are the threads that unify each of these stories. Each of the authors contributing to the collection has written a brief introduction that gives context and colour to the stories allowing children to live vicariously the lives of peers whose childhoods have been disturbed and disrupted by adult conflicts in the world which they inhabit. The Frances Lincoln list represents a veritable treasure trove of world views, belief systems and personalities. The crowning success of this in recent years has been their new fiction list and "Give Me Shelter" is the undisputed jewel within this crown. At a time when media reportage upon issues of asylum remains both polarised and parochial, the threads of humanity woven throughout a book like form the base of particularly strong moral bonds and the fabric of civilisation. Here is a book that should be made univesally available as a declaration of care and compassion in every bookshop, library, school and home across the land.
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