The Secret Starling

Orphan Clara Starling lives with her remote uncle in a cheerless manor where the dismal atmosphere, monotonous routine and isolation never vary. Things change when Uncle suddenly sells off heirlooms and fires the servants. He then drops Clara in a neighboring village. When he doesn’t return for her, she knows she has been abandoned Having nowhere else to go, she returns to Braithwaite Manor to find a ’for-sale‘ sign and a young boy, apparently visiting during his Gran’s illness. They get on well, entertaining themselves happily. When they discover a ballet shoe that had belonged to Clara’s mother, they begin a dramatic and dangerous search for Clara’s father, a search that will eventually change their lives.

Set in Seventies Britain, the background is reminiscent of The Secret Garden, one of Clara’s favorite books. Like it, the somber manor is isolated in bleak countryside, and Clara has little joy in her life save for the affection of the kindly cook. Jo Rioux’s expressive full-page black and white illustrations capture the atmosphere as well as characters described in the text.

In the absence of responsible or trustworthy adults, the children are conveniently left to their own devices. Their characters are well-drawn and thoroughly believable, both being intelligent, practical and independent and yet thoughtful of each other. Peter, with his worldly wisdom and passion for ballet, is a breath of fresh air for naïve, lonely Clara.

With various adults out to thwart them in their desperate search for Clara’s parentage, the children overcome many obstacles and have many new experiences, even receiving help from Rudolph Nureyev at the Kirov ballet! Full of action, suspense and surprising revelations, it all seems perfectly credible and has a satisfying ending!

The Secret Starling, originally published in the United Kingdom, grips the reader from beginning to end. It is a literary page-turner that will enthrall children.