Childish Fancy

As a young reader, I was drawn to any book written by Noel Streatfeild. Although the plots stuck to a similar pattern - orphan is taken in by poor relations, orphan must dance/act/skate to earn her way in the world, orphan finds great success - the predictability was comforting.  

The Flight of Gemma Hardy appeals to those of us fascinated by the orphan tale, but with unpredictable plot twists that the stories of our childhoods lacked. In Margot Livesey's book, Gemma becomes an orphan after her Scottish mother dies from a freak accident and her Icelandic father dies at sea. She goes to live with her uncle's family in Scotland. 

Not wanting to live with her cruel aunt after her uncle's death, Gemma finds a place at a boarding school. Since she is on scholarship, she must work to pay for her keep. Undeterred by the weary tasks of peeling potatoes and scrubbing floors, she keeps up with her studies. Before she can take the college entrance exams, however, the school closes, and she must find work as an au pair. 

Traveling to the Orkney Islands, Gemma cares for another young orphan who has been taken in by a bachelor uncle.  After the relationship with her employer ends poorly, she leaves with little money and no prospects. 

Gemma, taking on an alias, ends up finding work in a town not far from where she began. After a young man sets his unwanted sights on her, she sets off again. This time, she goes to Iceland in the hopes of discovering any remaining relatives she might have. 

Livesey has crafted an old-fashioned tale filled with dramatic landscapes, wicked matrons, and a headstrong heroine. Looking for another book in the same vein might lead you to Jane Eyre. But I'm going to look for my well-worn copy of Ballet Shoes.