The Seven Sisters

by Alex Wheatle

Inspired by personal experience, a powerful, moving and beautifully structured novel dealing with the lives of children in care. Four friends decide to run away from the horror of their every day lives in a children's home in the English countryside. They head for the woods, their sense of freedom surprises them, and for the first time they feel the exhilaration of adolescence. Yet the forest slowly asserts its own power and what happens there will affect the four boys' lives forever. With his trademark humour, compelling narrative directness, and rhythmic prose, Alex Wheatle here shows himself to be an author of real calibre, exposing the social stigma associated with children's homes, and the psychological consequences of their impact on sensitive children. Never losing pace or failing to engage the reader at every moment, The Seven Sisters is an unflinchingly honest depiction of childhood.

Genres: Young Adult

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Alex Alphonso Wheatle was a British novelist, who was sentenced to a term of imprisonment after the 1981 Brixton riot in London.

Reviews

[Katy McCallion · Rating 4 out of 5]

A moving story about a group of friends who run away from a children's home and the telling of their stories before, during and after. I would have liked to see what happened after the story ended so the book could have been longer as I don't think there is a sequel.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Your heart will reach out into the pages & become a thriving part of these young boys lives, with all the wishes & dreams, through their accomplishments & fears. Excellent British writer describing so perfectly that you become a character.

[Valerie Harewood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent