At the Firefly Gate Library Binding – 13 March 2007
Linda Newbery . David Fickling Books . English
Henry has always felt like an outsider and things are about to get worse when his family moves to the countryside and the prospect of a new school looms. He retreats more and more into his shell, until he meets Dottie, a frail old lady, who has tremendous spirit. He feels as though he knows her, as though they have been friends for many years. And as she tells him about her wartime romance with a Royal Air Force navigator also named Henry, our Henry is drawn into that world. In a series of mysterious, sometimes frightening events he re-enacts Henry's life . . . and learns that despite being dreadfully afraid, Henry acted heroically at the cost of his own life. Only our Henry knows the true story and it shows him a way through his own self-doubts and misgivings. From the Hardcover edition.
Categories: Fantasy, Science Fiction & Horror
About the Author
Linda Newbery's latest novel for adults is THE ONE TRUE THING (2025). Her previous title QUARTER PAST TWO ON A WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON (in paperback as MISSING ROSE) was a Radio 2 Book Club choice, and she is currently working on a third. She has published widely for young readers, with titles including SET IN STONE, winner of the Costa Children’s Book Prize, and THE SHELL HOUSE and SISTERLAND, both shortlisted for the prestigious Carnegie Medal. With author friends Adèle Geras and Celia Rees, Linda hosts the well-established literary blog WRITERS REVIEW. An active campaigner on environmental and animal issues, she has published THIS BOOK IS CRUELTY FREE: ANIMALS AND US, for teenagers and adults. It looks at the daily choices we make and how they affect animals and the environment. Linda lives in an Oxfordshire village and is a keen amateur photographer. For more information, visit her website.
