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The resolution of the twist was very wholesome and made up for what was otherwise one of the grittier adventures in the series. Stick is first seen with her husband who drives her to KIRRIN Cottage at the beginning; in the book Mr. I didn't see it coming (apparently Sunshine Seaspray did but she's a bit of a smarty pants when it comes to that sort of thing). At the other extreme we are told that the rocks are so deadly that nobody could possibly reach the only safe cove without the expert knowledge of a small collection of local fishermen (or George). The Five become convinced that the Sticks are involved in smuggling and set about trying to capture them.
So deadly are these rocks, apparently, that in one book they are the only defence needed for Uncle Quentin's top secret work, and the baddies actually have to PARACHUTE onto the island. Did I mention that in addition to the castle (emptied of its gold by the children in book 1) the island has an exposed shipwreck and a cave? However, this was written in the early 1940s (during the war, surprise, surprise, though there is hardly any mention of it, but then I guess it is because this book is meant to be timeless, or at least as timeless as the period in which it was written allows).We started to make jokes about Famous Five “All the do is picnic and talk about how delicious their apples are. Baddies are often encountered there (The Sticks in this book), sometimes rowing there in the dead of night. Okay, the tutor in book 2 was actually quite charming, and had everybody except George and Tim eating out of his hand. Developed countries love to jack up tariffs so that poorer countries don't have an unfair advantage in being able to produce cheaper goods, however my argument is that they tend to hurt the consuming public more.
In some German books from the 30’s to early 60’s the mothers in childrens books went to the hospital, because of cancer or because of some lung disease which must have been very common after WW II. The Five, deciding that they can’t stay in Kirrin Cottage with the Sticks any longer, head out to the island and one of my favourite parts is where they go around the house collecting supplies of food and blankets and things to use and live off of when they’re on Kirrin Island.This has to be one of my favourite fives as the weather described in the books makes for a perfect beachy holiday. She taught for five years before her 1924 marriage to editor Hugh Pollock, with whom she had two daughters. However, to have a wretched individual make accusations against you, and then you not being allowed to defend yourself is not a nice position to be in, especially when your superior seems to use any excuse that comes about to criticise and condemn your actions. Hopefully there’ll be more of the latter and less lording it over the servants in future adventures. Of course all the adults as fine with unsupervised 11 year old George rowing across open sea and through said rocks with her cousins.
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