Speedwell

With her father away looking for work and her mother weighed down by the troubles of the Depression of the 1930s, Mary wants to help her family and sees her father's racing pigeon Speedwell as her best hope of doing so

Grade 4-7-- Interesting characters and strong plotting give this story about an English mining family during the '30s its appeal. Mary's family, including the other three children, frequently go hungry. Her father leaves home to find work and puts his homing pigeons in Mary's charge. Determined to race them, she gets the entrance fees from an uncle, but since this is a man's sport, her mother is not pleased. When Mary's favorite, Speedwell, brings in some prize money, the woman is mollified; still, in order to feed the family, she roasts a few of the birds. Upset and angered, Mary runs away, taking the oldest pigeon with her for comfort. Ultimately, she and her mother are somewhat reconciled and ready for any hard times ahead. The cover painting is not attractive and the book will need promoting. Mary, however, is a feisty girl and the family relationships are realistic. Those who enjoy animal stories will find this to their liking. --Jo-Anne Weinberg, Greenburgh Public Library, NY
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