In a Nutshell: family secrets – ghosts – loss and love
This story of a young orphan girl feels part of a tradition going back to Eva Ibbotson, or even Frances Hodgson Burnett. It’s 1912 and Idie is a fierce young woman – with no parents she’s had to be – and she’s more than able to cope when she is suddenly called ‘home’ from England to the Caribbean Humming Bird Island, and installed as mistress of a grand old house. At first her closest companions are her horse and parakeet, but she soon makes friends with the people of the house and island, and they help her unravel the mystery of her family and past. With a cast of eccentric characters, a beautiful, exotic setting and drawing on overlooked but fascinating stories from history too, this is a rich and rewarding read. ~ Andrea Reece
'We're going to a fine place,' Idie told Homer to console him, 'with gullies and monkeys and hummingbirds.'
Idie Grace is twelve when she inherits a grand old house on a Caribbean island, and is sent away from grey old England to a place where hummingbirds hover and monkeys clamber from tree to tree. As a lady of property Idie can do as she pleases, so she fills the house with exotic animals, keeps her beloved horse in the hallway, and carries a grumpy, talking cockatoo called Homer on her shoulder. But the island house holds as many secrets as it does animals, and the truth behind Idie's inheritance is the biggest secret of all ...
Perfect for fans of Eva Ibbotson and Katherine Rundell
The House on Hummingbird Island has also been reviewed by The Krib. See the video below and click on the video for more information.
Sam Angus grew up in Spain. She studied Literature at Trinity College, Cambridge, and taught A-level English before becoming a ski-wear designer. She lives between London and Exmoor with an improvident quantity of children, horses and dogs. Read more about the author here.
