Saffy's Angel: Book 1 (Casson Family) - Softcover

McKay, Hilary

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0340850809 ISBN 13: 9780340850800

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books, 2002

Synopsis

After Saffron Casson discovers that she's adopted, life is never quite the same again. Her artistic parents and doting siblings adore her, but Saffy wants a piece of her past. So when her grandfather bequests a stone angel to her, Saffy knows she has to find it. Realising that her childhood in Siena holds the key, she secretly stows away on a car trip to Siena, with her new friend, Sarah.

Meanwhile, the rest of her family are engaged in their own wacky projects. Caddy, a hopeless student, is studying for her A Levels and desperately trying to pass her driving test. Indigo, the sole boy of the Casson family, is determined to rid himself of this fear of heights. And the youngest, Rose, a budding artist, has a knack for baiting her pompous dad, with entertaining results . . .

About this title

Review:

Whitbread Book Award-winning author Hilary McKay is no stranger to high praise, but for Saffy's Angel she really deserves the top honours. This heavenly little book tells the story of Cadmium, Saffron, Indigo and Rose--siblings who are each as colourful as their exotic names suggest.

Close-knit and divinely eccentric, the family (under the not-so-stable guidance of their mother Eve and their weary father, Bill) chug along quite nicely until one day Saffron discovers she was adopted by the family following the death of her mother, Eve's twin sister. As Saffron tries to come to terms with the shocking news, her grandfather dies and bequeaths her a stone angel in his will. But where is it? Saffron, her remarkable family and her new found friend, Sarah, embark on a search that sees Saffy heading for Sienna in Italy while her brother and sisters determine to leave no stone unturned in their quest for the cherub they know will make all the difference in the world to their beloved adopted sister.

Saffy's Angel is written with a simple, understated elegance that allows the reader access to the kind of family we would all, secretly, love to belong to. Each character is drawn with an enviable artistry coupled with, one suspects, a tongue-in the cheek that adds a sharp realistic air to a modern household with a heart of pure, old-fashioned gold. And it is these fabulous characters who lead the unfurling of the story, easing the reader through the pages with an irresistible wit and warmth that smartly avoids cosiness but nonetheless leaves a soothing rosy glow.

Marvellous stuff from a marvellous author who has the potential to knock even the queen of children's fiction, Jacqueline Wilson, off her perch, this sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking book is a must-read. And don't be put off by the pinkness of the packaging: it might look terribly girly, but at the heart of the matter is a fantastically straightforward, deeply satisfying, superior read for anyone who has a heart and a few hours to spare. Suitable for ages 10 and over. --Susan Harrison

Review:

Marvellous. (The Sunday Telegraph)

I love this book. I still wish I'd written it (Sally Nichols Books For Keeps)

Quirky and curious ... unforgettable. The central characters are strong, lovable - and unique. (Nic Knight, THE BOOKSELLER)

A real feel-good novel, McKay treats us once again to one of her brilliantly characterised families. This is a really lovely book. (THE BOOKSELLER)

A funny, exuberant story. (CAROUSEL)

... tale that is both funny and touching. (The Guardian)

Hilary McKay excels in conveying the anarchic bedlam of family life ... deserves to be placed alongside such classics as Little Women and The Railway Children. (TES Primary)

Saffy's Angel is a delight from start to finish ... a great feel-good book with characters you want to stay with for ever. Warm, beautifully crafted and always original, it's pure fun - a book to recommend without hesitation. (Whitbread Judges, as reported in Daily Mail)

About this edition

• Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0340850809
• ISBN 13: 9780340850800
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224