Product Description

After Saffron Casson discovers that she's adopted, life is never quite the same again. Her artistic parents and doting siblings adore her, but Saffy wants a piece of her past. So when her grandfather bequests a stone angel to her, Saffy knows she has to find it. Realising that her childhood in Siena holds the key, she secretly stows away on a car trip to Siena, with her new friend, Sarah.

Meanwhile, the rest of her family are engaged in their own wacky projects. Caddy, a hopeless student, is studying for her A Levels and desperately trying to pass her driving test. Indigo, the sole boy of the Casson family, is determined to rid himself of this fear of heights. And the youngest, Rose, a budding artist, has a knack for baiting her pompous dad, with entertaining results . . . (20030310)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #165105 in Books
• Published on: 2002-06-13
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Whitbread Book Award-winning author Hilary McKay is no stranger to high praise, but for Saffy's Angel she really deserves the top honours. This heavenly little book tells the story of Cadmium, Saffron, Indigo and Rose--siblings who are each as colourful as their exotic names suggest.

Close-knit and divinely eccentric, the family (under the not-so-stable guidance of their mother Eve and their weary father, Bill) chug along quite nicely until one day Saffron discovers she was adopted by the family following the death of her mother, Eve's twin sister. As Saffron tries to come to terms with the shocking news, her grandfather dies and bequeaths her a stone angel in his will. But where is it? Saffron, her remarkable family and her new found friend, Sarah, embark on a search that sees Saffy heading for Sienna in Italy while her brother and sisters determine to leave no stone unturned in their quest for the cherub they know will make all the difference in the world to their beloved adopted sister.

Saffy's Angel is written with a simple, understated elegance that allows the reader access to the kind of family we would all, secretly, love to belong to. Each character is drawn with an enviable artistry coupled with, one suspects, a tongue-in the cheek that adds a sharp realistic air to a modern household with a heart of pure, old-fashioned gold. And it is these fabulous characters who lead the unfurling of the story, easing the reader through the pages with an irresistible wit and warmth that smartly avoids cosiness but nonetheless leaves a soothing rosy glow.

Marvellous stuff from a marvellous author who has the potential to knock even the queen of children's fiction, Jacqueline Wilson, off her perch, this sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking book is a must-read. And don't be put off by the pinkness of the packaging: it might look terribly girly, but at the heart of the matter is a fantastically straightforward, deeply satisfying, superior read for anyone who has a heart and a few hours to spare. Suitable for ages 10 and over. --Susan Harrison

THE GUARDIAN
Hilary McKay's strength lies in her understanding of young people and her ability to evoke them very simply.'

Review
'Quirky and curious ... unforgettable. The central characters are strong, lovable - and unique.' (Nic Knight, THE BOOKSELLER )

'A real feel-good novel, McKay treats us once again to one of her brilliantly characterised families. This is a really lovely book.' (THE BOOKSELLER )

'A funny, exuberant story.' (CAROUSEL )

' ... tale that is both funny and touching.' (The Guardian )

'Hilary McKay excels in conveying the anarchic bedlam of family life ... deserves to be placed alongside such classics as Little Women and The Railway Children.' (TES Primary )

'Saffy's Angel is a delight from start to finish ... a great feel-good book with characters you want to stay with for ever. Warm, beautifully crafted and always original, it's pure fun - a book to recommend without hesitation.' (Whitbread Judges, as reported in Daily Mail )

Customer Reviews

Brilliant, funny, clever and kind
I loved this book, because it made me laugh AND it tlaks about things that matter too. Saffy's a really brilliant and likeable person, and the rest of her family is fab too. Cadmium, Indigo and Rose are all named after paints, because their batty parents are both artists. Saffron is named after a colour too, but can't find her name on the colour chart, which is how she finds out she is adopted. Saffy has been left something special by her real grandfather, and now she has to find it - along with the help of her adopted family. I learnt a lot about polar expeditions, driving lessons and revising for exams, as well as laughing all the time. I do hope there are going to be more adventures for Saffy?

Very strange, but also something not to miss out on
This book is mad in it's own ways because of all the people in it. It is a funny, moving book with lots of different stories combined into it. Saffy is a hot tempered child in parts of the story, and friendly in others. Caddy (she's my favorite charater) is fun to be with brilliant person, her Guinea pig and gerbil farm is something to get your imagination going. Indigo is extraondinarily unique, and his filling makes the story weird and his food-decide on that bit for yourself. Rose is an artistic young girl who would put trees on leads and take them on walks if she could. Eve and Bill are complete loonatics. All of the family put together are typical bohemians. (apart from bill, who's got a face like a fiddle.!!!!!!)

Laughing and crying - go on... read it!
Saffron Casson feels that she is the odd one out in her loving, but ever-so-slightly-eccentric family. When she fails to find her name on the artists colour chart in the kitchen (her siblings Cadmium, Indigo and Rose are all there!) she realises that there might just be a reason for this. When the truth about her adoption is revealed Saffy set off on a quest of her own. In her dreams she remembers a garden and a stone angel - 'her' angel - and she is determined to find them.

The story recounts Saffy's adventure, against the background of many mad goings-on in the lives of the rest of the Casson family. The character are all fantastically well-drawn, even the more minor ones (I particularly like Saffy's friend Sarah's dad, and Michael the driving instructor!).

Read and enjoy - this is is a funny and heart-warming book, with some laugh-aloud moments as well as some serious messages about finding out who we are, and going our own way. I loved it - I will admit to not having read anything else my Hilary McKay, but I'm about to rectify that!!

Oh - and I think Liselotte Watkins deserves a mention for such a snazzy cover...