The Ghost's Child

Today was a lovely day for sitting in the sun and reading. I finished a short but intriguing story called the Ghost's Child, by Sonya Hartnett. I have to say, I have read few books that were amazing as this one.

'The sky was pitch, and gashed by lightning; loutish waves rose and slumped heavily as mudslides.  At a moment when she was filled with desperation, Maddy opened her mouth and yelled for Feather.  And half-expected him to appear, because she wanted him to so much.'

Maddy yearns for her life to be mystifying, to be as magical as a fairy story.  And then one day, on the beach she meets the strangest young man she has ever seen.

The Ghost's Child is an enchanting fable about the worth of life, and the power of love.

Firstly, a couple of warnings. Don't assume that this is a love story, and don't judge this book by it's title. I came across it completely by chance, and now that I've read it... I think epiphany is the word?

The story starts off with a strange boy suddenly appearing at old lady's home. The old lady, Matilda, starts to tell him about her life. And that's where the story begins. She tells of how she travelled with her father around the world, looking for the answer to the question: "what is the world's most beautiful thing?" She tells of how she found love, and lost love, and how she learnt to live without regrets. The most important lesson of all is that there is no point in yearning for the things that you can't have.

I had never heard about this book and wasn't very impressed by the cover either. But it really is a beautiful story. You won't regret reading it.

Sonya Hartnett writes so amazing - every sentence can be seen as a profound quote, every picture she creates is magnificent. If you're smart enough, you'll understand how the title works, and what each scene really means.