I adore boarding school stories and really love anything set in the far east so I knew that I'd love this novel. The setting was lavishly recreated for us and I really found myself transported into Etta's world on Mount Lushan. I found the exquisite skill in description one of the most captivating things about this book and it really allowed me to feel that I was there, experiencing these things for myself, so skilfully was it evoked. I loved Etta's stint as a prophetess and found this part of the book particularly captivating as the girls' characters were so well drawn that you could imagine yourself there as one of the circle. I found the childhood sections of the novel the strongest and also the parts that stayed with me after I'd finished reading this novel. I definitely think that fans of the Orient, as well as people who love a coming of age story, would love this book as much as I did. I'll definitely be looking out for other novels by Rebecca Mackenzie as I found her writing not just evocative and lushly descriptive but also a perceptive portrayal of growing up, no matter what the setting in time or place. A five star read; I absolutely loved it.

An interesting story, narrated mostly by a young girl growing up in a Christian missionary boarding school in China. The majority of the students are children of missionaries working elsewhere in the country and are separated from their parents sometimes for years, a situation made worse by the Japanese invasion and their internment in camps for the duration of the war. Alternating between scary and hilarious, their teenage rebelliousness is channeled into religious zeal with ultimately tragic results. The main character Etta is an engaging personality, having to make her own way at a young age in an uncertain world. and her ‘coming of age’ is sensitively handled. Very well written, there is some great dialogue and relationships between the children and between children and adults.

One of the most poignant aspects for me was the effect of long-term separation on families. In their minds the children are still little and look forward to the old cuddly relationship with their parents, but they are all grown up now, ‘the wrong size’ and awkward - will there be a happy-ever-after when they are reunited? Some opt for a fresh start somewhere like Australia but for those returning to a Britain they have scarcely known the transition is going to be difficult.

I enjoyed this book very much, the author’s first, and look forward to seeing what she does next. With thanks to Tinder Press and NetGalley for the opportunity.