Night Maze [Paperback]

A wonderful story about what it means to accept yourself, and to be part of a family. Annie Dalton went into trying to please trendy children and teenagers in her later books, but this is totally 'without front' - lovely, honest and insightful writing.

Gerard Noone has been raised in a series of grim foster homes, before finding his way to a quite exceptional children's home. However, no sooner is he settled there, feeling for the first time accepted for what he is, than his family suddenly turn up to claim him. Learning that he has aristocratic ancestors, Gerard is taken to his ancestral home, Owlcote Hall, to live with his aunt, uncle and three cousins: Harriet, an adopted girl of part African heritage, and Laurie and Flora, his aunt and uncle's own children. Very soon, Gerard realizes that all is not well at Owlcote. His uncle Avery is cold and remote, his aunt Caroline strives desperately to please everyone and ends up pleasing no one, his uncle Will's brilliance has somehow never quite materialized (he lives a rather melancholy live running an organic apple juice firm at Owlcote, his early promise as a poet unfulfilled), his little twin cousins have multiple allergies, and Harriet, a tormented and lonely adolescent who feels she is unwanted in the Noone household, believes the Noones live under the shadow of a terrible curse. Casting a gloom over everyone is Gerard's threatening grandmother.

To begin with, Gerard prefers to pretend the curse is invented by Harriet as a reason for her depression. But gradually, via some strange visitations and some reading of his mother's old diaries, Gerard realizes that there is indeed a family curse, whose origins lie in the Elizabeth era, and in the work of the bizarre alchemist Thomas Noone, and his unhappy relationship with his daughter Alice. Together with Harriet, Gerard resolves to end the curse.

What is particularly clever about this novel is the way in which Dalton blends her supernatural theme in with some very interesting and quite profound thoughts on what it means to be part of a family, to learn to accept yourself and stop 'looking over your shoulder', to accept that you can't please everyone, and the complicated emotions experienced by adopted and fostered children. Her thoughts on the human condition are delivered sensibly, with no trace of 'new-age' speak; as an adolescent I remember finding Harriet's struggles to come to terms with herself and to make human contacts very moving - this was still the case when I revisited the book as an adult. Gerard, the thoughtful hero who believes he's 'not good at anything' but who turns out to be the catalyst who can end the curse, was a magnificently created character also. And Dalton's adult characters, none entirely satisfied with life, all gradually learning that hiding away from real engagement with others will harm them, were also fine creations. In addition, the descriptive language in the book was very fine - I really felt I could picture Owlcoate and the countryside around.

A magnificent book - what a pity that Dalton didn't write more in this vein. And why is it not still in print?