Starling Tree (Collins Flamingo) [Paperback]

Julia Clarke (Author)

Book Description

Series: Collins Flamingo | Publication Date: May 8, 2001

Readers will be gripped by this haunting tale of the many facets of love. When sixteen-year-old twins Fawn and Ginna's school hits the headlines for anarchy in the corridors, Fawn's life begins to fall apart. Her boyfriend Adam is taken away from the school, and her brother Ginna starts skipping school and hanging out with gang-leader Spider, drinking and joyriding. But suddenly, life is not as bleak as it had seemed. There is a new head, new school rules, and most important of all, a caring new music teacher called Ben Thompson. Ben helps Fawn and Ginna to set up a band and puts some meaning back into their lives - and Fawn falls deeply in love with him. But Ginna is still dangerously close to the edge. Can Fawn save him? Will Ben Thompson ever love her? Now that she has met him, will her life ever be the same again?

Editorial Reviews

Review

Fawn lives in a crumbling house on a rundown estate. Her family - hardworking mum, agarophobic hippy dad and out-of-control twin, Ginna - cause her a lot of heartache. To top it all, her school, Meadowlea, is a maelstrom of bullies and chaos, and her only support, boyfriend Adam, is moving out of the area with his family. No wonder she is in despair. Pursued by local rich kid Simon, she meets his friends and is shocked by their lifestyle. Only Nick seems genuine. Then Ben Thompson comes into her life and she falls in love with this charasmatic teacher. Together with a new headteacher, he raises interest and enthusiasm with his music at Meadowlea, gives Fawn and Ginna a new focus in their life, and even befriends the thuggish but ultimately tragic Spider. The novel will appeal to teenagers, dealing as it does with teenage worries and problems. It is a novel of despair but also of hope and the triumph of the human spirit. Ben Thompson is a genuinely good human being and Fawn's love for him is transmuted into feeling of gratitude for his love and concern for all whose lives he touches. She realizes in the end that even though things cannot work out as she wishes, the alternatives can also be worthwhile. (Kirkus UK)

About the Author

Since deciding she wanted to be a writer at the age of seven, Julia Clarke wrote her first novel in 1987 after a circuitous route which included spells as a nanny, librarian, barmaid, cook at a remote Scottish country mansion, drama teacher, actress, theatre usherette, stage manager, cashier, wardrobe mistress and secretary to an astrologer. After travelling widely in Afghanistan and India, Julia married and had two children. She now lives on a farm in North Yorkshire with a dog, rabbits and hens. Her hobbies include theatre, music, walking, reading, travel and cooking.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Harper Collins Childs (May 8, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0007105142
• ISBN-13: 978-0007105144
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces

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