A Little Fear

by Patricia Wrightson

Fed up with being treated like a child at the home for elderly citizens where she lives, strong-willed Mrs Tucker runs away - to live at her own pace in her own kind of home.

But she and her dog, Hector, have unexpected company at their lonely cottage on the Broad. Something that lights fires in the fowlhouse, and lures Hector to a fearful trap; something small and dark and ancient that is challenging her, trying to drive Mrs Tucker from the land.

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Young Adult, Fantasy

112 pages, Paperback

First published August 22, 1983

About the author

Winner of the Dromkeen Medal (1984).
Patricia Wrightson is one of Australia's most distinguished writers for children. Her books have won many prestigious awards all over the world. She was awarded an OBE (Officer of the British Empire) in 1977, the Dromkeen Medal in 1984 and the Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 1986, all for her services to children's literature. She is a four-time winner of the Australian Children's Book Council Book of the Year Award: in 1956 for The Crooked Snake, in 1974 for The Nargun and the Stars, in 1978 for The Ice Is Coming and in 1984 for A Little Fear. Patricia lives and writes in a beautiful stretch of the Australian bush beside the Clarence River in northern New South Wales.

Reviews

[Stef Rozitis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mrs Tucker, the protagonist of this book is a likeable old lady with a core of steel and independence. In terms of being her story, it is an interesting and moving account as she battles the forces of nature but her real enemy is ageing (hence she wonders if dementia is stalking her). I was sympathetic with her need for independence.

The njimbin is something I don't know about, but I am worried she may have lifted it out of Aboriginal stories and if so her portrayal of it is problematic, as is the battle for supremacy which ensues with the likeable Mrs Tucker recast as colonist/invader. She is right to not want guns in her war, but her last act shows an unrepentant edge to her battle with an ancient (well at least a couple of centuries) spirit. I am also not sure about how it is portrayed and whether that is appropriate.

I can't quite put these reservations to the side but I like the clear writing, which is descriptive without going on and on and on. I love that all the characters- main or incidental have a likeable and simple way of talking and being. It is hard though as a reader not to side with Mrs Tucker.

[Guilherme Semionato · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stunning sense of place, a wondrous talent for bringing natural beauty in all its glory and lush and messiness to the front and center of the narrative. Sometimes I kept wondering if Patricia Wrightson could be a little bit less generous to the surroundings and more attentive to the inner workings of her *human* characters (she's more than capable of pulling it off; maybe it's just not her cup of tea; I thought the old lady needed more details and some kind of history and personal mark). But I was thoroughly captivated by Wrightson's descriptive prowess all the same. The dog Hector is a glorious, glorious character. A very unexpected, delightful reading. (Hans Christian Andersen Award, 1986.)

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had this read to me as a book in primary school. The story stuck with me and for many years I've tried to remember what it was called so I could read it again. I finally posted in the 'What's the Name of that Book???' group and had it identified. It was great to read it again even as an adult; it has a dark fantasy feel which why it appealed so much to me as a young child. The most memorable stories often have a certain taint to add a little bit of black spice :-)

It's a shame it's so hard to get hold of copy of it these days.

[Cheryl]

I agree with the Kirkus review (misposted as A Little Feat). So much potential, what with the lush descriptions, the humorous rats and chooks, the concept of the independent old lady. But this reads mostly like a genre horror novel. The only thing that kept me going to the end was a desire to see if it would finally become a children's book. But no, both the old lady and the Njimbin kept raising the stakes. The scene with the midges (four inches of gray fluff from their dead bodies) was much more disturbing than any ghost story.

It could have been interesting. It could have been an exploration of who is more terrifying, the woman who attacks even spiders, immediately upon taking possession of the old cottage, with poison spray, or the Little Hairy Man, who just wants a dry place to nest and a few tomatoes... that could have even been literary. Or it could have been a DiCamillo, and young Ivan could have negotiated peace between the warring parties, instead of taking a gun and shooting up the hills.

Is it a Wrightson thing, or an Australian thing? Have the ideas of 'living with harmony in nature' and 'respect for the indigenous' taken longer to get going in Australia? Or is it just this particular book, and Wrightson was going for something that I completely missed?
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Edit. I have just finished and very much enjoyed The Ice is Coming. I have decided that I probably did miss something about A Little Fear and so I have removed my two 2* rating. Have any of you read her work?

[Anna Hepworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a slender volume, ostensibly a children's horror story. Set in the Australian countryside, it portrays the confrontation between an elderly woman who runs away from her well meaning family to live on a farm inherited from her recently deceased sibling, and the cranky land spirit who claims the land. I found it very chilling, and a depressing depiction of the way that us white folk take possession and assume that this is good. Incredible use of Australian mythology and landscape, wonderfully depicted characters, writing so good that I couldn't keep reading, and had to keep walking away, because I was so creeped out by it. A classic example of Wrightson's work - thoroughly recommended.

[Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy-ish to read. Too much description throughout the book for me though. I found it weird how the animals could communicate with each other the way they did.

It was an interesting story and I was intrigued with how it would end. That said, I’m not sure about the ending, whether I liked it or not. Maybe a bit of both. I didn’t like it because it felt like Mrs Tucker was giving up but then I thought she needs to as she’s not going to beat the Njimbin, which is part of nature itself. Also, she felt proud of herself for living there as long as she was able to, to not see as giving up but being proud of how far she had come and taking care of herself by moving on.

[Kathryn Castles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd little book, some great ideas and descriptions in here. There were some moments that are very dark and cinematic, I can definitely see it scaring younger kids - there was at least one moment when I was very nervous for one of the characters. The Njimbin is not as persuasive a character as some of Wrightson's other creations, and the colonial undertow felt quite murky here, but the story is unique.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very enjoyable, loved the descriptions of the country. Only criticism is that when the boat and dog are returned I am sure that someone would have checked on the old lady.

[Sharon Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This may be classed as Children's Literature, but as an adult I loved it anyway.