I must confess I bought this book because I loved the cover. I know this is against all the rules, but there it is! However, this book lived up to its cover.
We meet Davy in the early dawn, creating pictures of angels in the dirt. He lives in Brownvale, a town that appears to be controlled by the fearsome Parson Fall. Davy is an orphan, living rough, dodging the menacing Mr Kite who rounds up the homeless and sells them on, no matter what their age (a nod to Mr Dickens’ Fagan?). Davy has few friends; Mr Timm the librarian offers him sanctuary and it is here that Davy finds inspiration for his drawings from a book of Renaissance Angels. Davy’s world is turned upside down when he meets Miss Flint, the old ‘witch’ who lives in the ruined remains of the town museum.
There is a timelessness to this novel, which references classic films, but never mentions modern technologies. In fact, Young plays with time, defying the science and making time fluid. You sense that there is magic in the air, and it’s this magic that leads Davy to Miss Flint, and together they embark on a journey that will transform both their lives.
I’m finding it hard to communicate how wonderful I think this book is. It has so much heart and I hope that it finds the audience it so deserves.
And I must make special mention of the illustrations by Hannah George that are the icing on the cake-just perfect!
Highly recommended for upper primary to lower secondary school readers.