Miss McAllister's Ghost

Elizabeth Fensham (author)

University of Qld Press, 2008; 280pp

ISBN: 9780702236469

Genres: historical fiction, realistic fiction

Issues: change, elders, family,identity, relationships, siblings

CBCA Notable Book, 2009

Very much a book about family, friendship, identity and self-respect, ‘Miss McAllister's Ghost' challenges readers to reassess their own attitudes and values.

Cassie and Mick are determined to prove to their younger brother, Wilf, that he can't possibly have seen a ghost. In doing so they find themselves drawn into the life of an irascible elderly lady who, like Dickens' Miss Havisham (Great Expectations), holds time still for herself and those who enter her world.

The three children find themselves forced to do housework and cooking without electricity or modern conveniences while their every move is observed and commented upon with Victorian strictness. Why would anybody choose to live such an isolated life full of physical hardship?

When Mick sees a bizarre face in the window of the old stables, he becomes convinced there is a sinister explanation for Miss McAllister's reclusive lifestyle. The truth, however, is even more shocking than the children imagine and they find themselves united in their determination to help and protect the dignified woman who has become so important to their lives.

From her they learn the value of hard work, honesty, compassion and endurance. They teach her to laugh again.
Very much a book about family, friendship, identity and self-respect, ‘Miss McAllister's Ghost' challenges readers to reassess their own attitudes and values. In our rapid technological progress have we in fact left behind some of the best elements of human society and relationships?

Although it is rather difficult to believe that Miss McAllister and her lodger could live in such complete isolation from society, Fensham's writing is otherwise beautifully crafted, especially in its very consistent use of the first person narrative. The five central characters are sensitively drawn and convincing.

There is an almost surreal element to the novel - the sense of an unusual Sleeping Beauty being woken not by a prince but three very ordinary children. Part witch, part stern grandmother, Miss McAllister is the archetypal Wise Woman of epic narratives. She leads the children on a journey of self-discovery and they leave enriched by her acerbic teaching.

A novel that will especially appeal to sensitive and imaginative readers, this is also a story to read aloud with a class. Thought-provoking and haunting, this is a memorable read.