Sarah Moore Fitzgerald, A Very Good Chance, Orion Children’s Books/Hachette Australia, 8 Nov 2016, 184pp., $16.99 (pbk) ISBN: 9781444014785
Set in Dublin, this middle-grade novel tells the story of Minty – a girl enduring her parent’s divorce – and Ned, a loner being brought up in a caravan by his grandmother. Ned is the new boy at school and, while he keeps to himself, Minty is intrigued and attracted.
Setting is an important part of this book – particularly Nettlebog – the rural idyll where Ned lives with his Granny. Nettlebog is instantly alluring because most local parents have banned their children from investigating its charms. The way it’s described (slightly reminiscent of The Enchanted Wood) makes it sound irresistible.
It feels like being in the middle of a secret – as if you’re skirting the edges of something risky and wrong. There’s this big curvy bend in the river – it’s called the Giant’s Elbow and right in the crook of it is a lush circle of trees…Whenever you’re down there, you get a mad, free kind of feeling that makes you want to shout.
Minty retreats to Nettlebog regularly as her parent’s marriage unravels. She eventually becomes friends with Ned, sharing in his passion for horses. Minty also learns Ned’s secrets – his fervent desire to win the Ballyross (horse) Race and the fact that he can’t read.
This is a moving story of friendship and first love. Ned’s differences certainly set a lot of people (who scarcely know him) against him. This theme of accepting people who are different is certainly a current hot topic and the book could be used to kick-off a class discussion.
The divorcing parents, who fail to inform Minty of their disintegrating relationship, might also strike a chord with some children.
Reviewed by Heather Gallagher
