Nellie and the Secret Letter

Our Australian Girl - Nellie #2

by Penny Matthews

It's 1849, and Nellie is starting her new life as a kitchen maid in a grand Adelaide house with her best friend, Mary. But Nellie's desire to live out her dreams soon leads to a battle with the spiteful cook, Bessie Rudge… Can Nellie keep her temper and avoid being thrown out to beg on the streets? And why is Mary acting so strangely?

Follow Nellie on the second of four exciting stories about an Irish girl with a big heart, in search of the freedom to be herself.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens

132 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 2012

Reviews

[Amandajane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic children's historical fiction series I am reading to my 9yo daughter. Nellie is my favourite character in the series so far. She is a 12yo Irish workhouse orphan who lost her entire family during the famine and was sent to Australia to find work. She is wonderfully optimistic and courageous through all the challenges she faces.

In this story, Nellie has found a new position as a kitchen maid in the household her friend, Mary works in as a nursemaid. The girls are very happy to be back together although their positions are not ideal. The cook hates Irish and treats Nellie badly and Mary has problems with the bratty children she cares for. Other issues arise with the discovery of the secret letter which changes their lives once again.

My daughter and I are loving this series and are looking forward to finding out what happens next for Nellie.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

My youngest son would REALLY like to give this book 25 stars - he loved it that much! As for me, this is my fourth reading through all the Our Australian Girl books and I'm still enjoying them just as much as the first time around.

[Aliya · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5* rounded up

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh no, I am at the sad place where I have NO MORE OAG BOOKS LEFT TO READ! :( There are still two more Alices and two more Nellies, but they're not published yet. Sigh.

Nellie is still definitely my favourite to read about after Rose, and I absolutely loved book 2! She's working at the same house as Mary now, and having to put up with the horrible Cook who treats her like scum. What a bitch. I loved Li the laundry master and their first meeting so much :D

The letter in question is one that Nellie finds in Mary's things, from Tom and addressed to Mary. Just as she's been wondering why Tom hasn't written to her! So it sounds like there's going to be some drama... but Mary can't read, and the letter is unopened. So they're not having a secret affair, okay. But still, curious! Nellie takes the letter to lovely 'Trotty' the housekeeper to read, and it turns out that Tom wrote to Mary asking after Nellie! The family wanted her back! But he needed a reply ASAP because they were moving on... and now it's too late :( Mary kept the letter secret because she didn't think it was proper for Nellie to be forming a relationship with a young man like Tom, since she's only a serving girl. FAIL, MARY. YOU JUST RUINED YOUR BEST FRIEND'S LIFE.

The book ends with Mary and Nellie being dismissed from that horrible household. You know that by book 4 they're going to find Tom's family again and all live happily ever after - well, it's pretty certain! But I'm excited to read book 3 and see what happens along their path, and to find out just how they manage to meet up again with a family gone bush in the 1840s!

Also, the place Tom's family had moved to was called Kooringa! :D

[Mrs Child · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great series....the author gives a good depiction of the era.