The Curse of the Montrolfesss/ (Original Title = Pippin's Journal : Or, Rosemary Is for Remembrance)

Rating:
Summary: A unique book
Review: Rohan O'Grady (aka June Skinner) is a Canadian writer with two known novels published: "Pippin's Journal" (also titled "The Curse of the Montrolfes" ) and "Let's Murder Uncle" which was adapted for film in the sixties. The common quality to both books is the author's understanding of how children think and talk. But the heroine of "Pippin" is far from being an ordinary thirteen year old. Like Emily in "A High Wind in Jamaica" she is a young girl who has been changed by circumstances. The core of this book is the strange relationship between Catherine , nicknamed Pippin, and Guy Montrolfe; a driven, Heathcliff type of Byronic hero. But as well as being a love story, it is also a ghost story and an adventure yarn. Comparisons with the Brontes, R.L. Stevenson and Henry James are tempting. Certainly it is far more than the "gothic" label implies. A book that will haunt you.

Rating:
Summary: A unique book
Review: Rohan O'Grady (aka June Skinner) is a Canadian writer with two known novels published: "Pippin's Journal" (also titled "The Curse of the Montrolfes" ) and "Let's Murder Uncle" which was adapted for film in the sixties. The common quality to both books is the author's understanding of how children think and talk. But the heroine of "Pippin" is far from being an ordinary thirteen year old. Like Emily in "A High Wind in Jamaica" she is a young girl who has been changed by circumstances. The core of this book is the strange relationship between Catherine , nicknamed Pippin, and Guy Montrolfe; a driven, Heathcliff type of Byronic hero. But as well as being a love story, it is also a ghost story and an adventure yarn. Comparisons with the Brontes, R.L. Stevenson and Henry James are tempting. Certainly it is far more than the "gothic" label implies. A book that will haunt you.