Move Over Heidi, Rebecca, Anne, and Pollyanna
I truly and earnestly believe that Heidi, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Anne of Green Gables, and Pollyanna are four of the most compelling, (and sadly now overlooked except maybe for Anne), girl heroines in all of middle grade fiction. This delightful book, which is perhaps aimed at a slightly younger readership, now adds Inge Maria to that pantheon.
Heidi is, of course, the gold standard when it comes to warming old, cold hearts. Rebecca has a dark side and enough mature themes that some publishers felt the need to reissue the original book in a bowdlerized form that made Rebecca more malleable and submissive. Pollyanna was a gimlet eyed realist, (the exact opposite of how she is remembered), who hid her pain and despair under a sunny disposition and faith in better times to come. Anne got the best deal of the four, but her grit and determination allowed her to make the best of a bad hand. Any girl raised on a diet of books like these is going to grow up to be a woman to be reckoned with.
This "Mischief..." book takes a lighter tour through that territory. It doesn't take too long, after scaring Inge and us about grandmother, to show us that the future will be bright and promising. It doesn't grind Inge down just so she can fight back. We share Inge's sadness about the loss of her parents, and her confusion and dismay about being relocated to a strange place with a stern grandparent. But, there is no meanness and there is no heartbreaking despair. In the other books I noted above there is a grim reality that slips in to the stories, and real tension regarding our heroines' fates. But in "Mischief..." we are gently promised and then regularly reassured that all will end well.
That's what I mean when I suggest that this is for a slightly younger crowd, and might serve as an excellent introduction to orphan girl heroines, loss, grief, and life reimagined. The author carries a number of arcs through the story, and the opening threads all tie up neatly by the end, but by presenting the story as a string of episodes the author allows for a fast pace, manageable set pieces, and a lot of pausing and breathing room for a young, ambitious reader. There is sort of a mini-story in each chapter, and the reader hardly realizes that the underlying tale of Inge Marie is building chapter by chapter to a powerful conclusion. This is just a beautiful structure for a middle grade book.
The writing is crisp, clear and direct, with enough color and whimsy and action to drive the story forward. There is wise and knowing humor here. While some scenes are broad and antic, our author is also skilled at deadpan, throwaway and ironic observations that breathe life and personality into the characters. Inge is observant, resourceful, stubborn, creative and self-possessed, and she breathes life and vitality into all of the other characters, (which is, of course, one of the main attractions and points of the story). Inge can be pert and rude, but is usually instructed regarding the difference between high spirits and going too far, and I didn't have a problem with this girrrlll power version of being a troublesome woman. I suspect most girl readers, or readers of any gender, won't either.
So, on every level I found this to be an entertaining and attractive work, and a refreshing and upbeat addition to the family shelf. (Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)