BEGINNINGS. (The Skylark's Song - Audrey Howard)

Member Name: thingywhatsit

Product:	The Skylark's Song - Audrey Howard
Date:	10/09/06 (123 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good to see the first work of this author.

Disadvantages: Sad in places, and may not suit all readers.

The Skylark's Song was Audrey Howard's debut into the world of fiction, and as such is a turning point in her life. It's the story of poverty turned good, but it is more than that really. Her story starts in the slum area of Liverpool and in particular Love Lane. It tells of a young girl called Zoe, whose birth killed her mother, and whose father took to the bottle and left the upbringing of her siblings to her sister, Sara. The poverty described seems well described and realistic, but the point is made right from the start of the book that little Zoe is different from the other kids. I suppose the logic is well defined in the book, because Zoe comes at a time when the other children are older and perhaps not that interested in her, and she spends a lot of time alone. I could actually imagine this, since being a child that is different is actually more common than people care to admit. Zoe is studious, likes to keep her school clothes clean and does so herself, whilst the other kids are not so caring. It is this appearance of care that brings her schoolteacher, Joanne, to her home to meet her mother, and which brings shock to the teacher when she sees the surroundings in which Zoe is being brought up.

Joanna, decides that she would like to adopt Zoe and here begins the story of ambition for want of a better word. The family will not allow the teacher to adopt her, though will gladly "rent" her to Joanna for a princely sum of ten shillings a week. Here, they play on the fact that there is never any paperwork, and that they can take the child back at any time they like. The emotions that Zoe goes through are pretty natural ones given the circumstance of being pulled backwards and forwards from poverty to over indulgence, and I felt more sorry for the child than the family who profited from her, or the character of Joanna, a self indulgent woman who wanted the love of a child without having the burden of a husband, looked down upon by the school governors, though manipulated by her to work on a trial period of a year, gaining their approval by questionable means. You get the sense that through all of this, it is the child that suffers, and that the "adoptive", adoring mother-figure of Joanne is more intent upon fulfilling her dream, rather than seeing the trauma that her "adoption" is causing to the child.

Within the first couple of chapters, the events which lead Zoe away from everyone she knows are pretty horrific to imagine and I have no intention of spoiling the story. Suffice to say that circumstance leads the child to the moorlands she discovered with her brother upon being forced to return home to poverty, and the only place on earth that she feels safe. I particularly liked the relationship between desolation and open spaces seemed to create, as I know this is a very real feeling within my own life and could easily equate it to reality.

Rescued by a family and accepted as a friend to work with their children in the nursery, the story takes twists and turns, and the characters are well described from the point of view of sentiment and character and work well. The only flaw with the book is the time scale, as you really feel that you are reading a book based at the turn of the century rather than in the 1920's though this is perception of the written word rather than what is written. The styles of clothes which are briefly described give you that impression of Victorian clothing in places, though this really doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the book. When I read a book of this nature, and one that has been well written, I find that I picture the images of the characters, and here, it was my perception that was at fault, as the book had a definite Catherine Cookson feel to it, though to my mind, fresher than Cookson.

Will Zoe find a future that can obliterate the hardships of the past ? Will she learn to trust ? Will she fall in love and have any kind of normal life after such as struggle as a child ? You will have to read the book to find out. Having read this as a debut book, I shall read further books by the author to see how she developed as a writer. The book is available on Amazon, and although there are no new copies available at this time, there are second hand ones that include the larger print which may be interesting for those who have problems with vision. I don't believe that the lack of availability in new books should put anyone off buying this book, since it is an introduction to a writer who really has made a successful name for herself in her other books, "As the Night Ends" (2005), "Flower in Season" (2004), and the various other books available. From my experience of this book, and looking at the way in which the writer has developed, she seems a consistent writer, and one that is serious about giving her reader good value for money, though to me, the beginning of a career such as this will always be interesting, and this book was published in 1984.

An enjoyable read, not a hard one, and one suitable for journeys or holiday escapism. At 6.99 GBP, it's not a lot to pay for a story that conjures up pictures and takes the reader to places they will never go, since these are places of the past, and probably just as well.

It's a darned good debut, and I shall certainly be reading more of this lady, whose work really does get the reader involved and interested in the outcome of the different characters within its 320 pages.

Enjoy. I did.

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Arrow (4 Jul 1996)
Language English
ISBN: 0099663716

Also available in Cassette form which I believe to be great for people with impaired reading ability.


Rachel

Summary: A good read for a journey.