Speedwell [Paperback]

Ann Turnbull (Author), Reg Cartwright (Illustrator)

Book Description

Mary fights against the poverty of the Depression and the abusive words of her mother to maintain her dreams and make them come true.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7-- Interesting characters and strong plotting give this story about an English mining family during the '30s its appeal. Mary's family, including the other three children, frequently go hungry. Her father leaves home to find work and puts his homing pigeons in Mary's charge. Determined to race them, she gets the entrance fees from an uncle, but since this is a man's sport, her mother is not pleased. When Mary's favorite, Speedwell, brings in some prize money, the woman is mollified; still, in order to feed the family, she roasts a few of the birds. Upset and angered, Mary runs away, taking the oldest pigeon with her for comfort. Ultimately, she and her mother are somewhat reconciled and ready for any hard times ahead. The cover painting is not attractive and the book will need promoting. Mary, however, is a feisty girl and the family relationships are realistic. Those who enjoy animal stories will find this to their liking. --Jo-Anne Weinberg, Greenburgh Public Library, NY
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (February 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564022811
• ISBN-13: 978-1564022813
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,428,223 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A charming book about growing up and racing pigeons., January 21, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Speedwell (Hardcover)

Speedwell is the story of Mary, a young girl living in England during the Great Depression. She helps her father raise homing pigeons and train them to race, and she dreams that one day one of their birds will win a race. But her father loses his job, and has to go to another village to find work. Mary tries to carry on training the pigeons alone, in spite of her mother's disdain for the birds. Eventually, their differing points of view lead to a crisis during which Mary and her mother learn to be more tolerant and understanding of each other. This is a charming book with lots of accurate details about raising and training racing pigeons