Book review: Saffy's Angel by Hilary McKay

Saffy's Angel is the first book in a series of five books about the Casson family. Our main character is 12 year old Saffron, or Saffy as she's called on a daily basis. We also meet Saffy's family. her mother and father and her three siblings. Saffy's mother, Eve, spends most of her days in the shed, painting, and the father, Bill, spends his week in his studio in London. The four Casson children mostly cares for themselves, being a painter doesn't leave much time to raise children(it's not that the parents doesn't love their children!).

One day Saffron starts pondering why her name isn't on the coloring chart. All her siblings are named after a color, why is she named after a spice? Saffy's world turns upside down when she discovers the truth.

One day Saffy argues with her dad, she runs after his taxi and in frustration throws his lunch after the car(which is long gone) as she turns around to head home she crashes into the wheelchair of the girl next door, Sarah. Sarah more or less force Saffy to become her friend(the Casson kids kind sees Sarah as a stuck up snob). It doesn't take the girls long to become the best of friends.

All of the sudden the Casson childrens grandfather perishes. In his will he leaves each of the children an item, most of the things are long gone. Saffy has been left an angel and she is somehow sure that this angel really exsists somewhere, but where? Saffy has some vague memories of an angel in a garden. After a little while Saffy get's a lead on the angel, it might be in Sienna in Italy, how does she get there? Saffy needn't have worried, Sarah is used to getting her way and manages to persuade her parents that a trip to Italy is just what they need this holiday. And just like that Saffy is being smuggled away to Italy to find her angel.

Saffy's older sister, Caddy, is taking driving lessons and to say that Caddy isn't a particulary good driver might actualy be an understatement. Perhaps the reason for this is Caddy's crush on her driving teacher, Michael?  The lessons are at least very entertaining for the readers, here's a little excerpt from one of Michael and Caddy's driving lessons:

"What do you notice about this street?" he asked conversationally.

"Lovely gardens," said Caddy, getting out her hamster.

"It's one-way! Turn right, I said, and instead you turned left up a one-way street! Then you parked in the fire station exit. And that mirror is for looking behind you, not admiring your lipstick in!"

Since I'm already quoting I have to add the description of my favorite character in this book, Indigo, Saffy's younger brother:

Indigo was a thin, dark-haired little boy with anxious indigo-colored eyes. He had a list in his head of things that did not matter (such as school), and another list of things that did. High on Indigo's list of things that mattered was his pack. That was how he thought of his sisters. His pack.

 

This book is a quick, warm and humorous read. Can be recommended for girls age abt. 10-16 years old.

Saffy's Angel earned Hilary McKay the Whitbread award for best children's book in 2002 .