Thursday's Child

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Sonya Hartnett’s haunting, mythical novel - now in paperback Harper Flute believes that her younger brother Tin, with his uncanny ability to dig, was born to burrow. While their family struggles to survive in a bleak landscape during the Great Depression, the silent and elusive little Tin - "born on a Thursday and so fated to his wanderings" - begins to escape underground, tunneling beneath their tiny shanty. As time passes, Tin becomes a wild thing, leaving his family further and further behind. With exquisite prose, richly drawn characters, and a touch of magical realism, Sonya Hartnett tells a breathtakingly original coming-of-age story through the clear eyes of an observant child. It’s an unsentimental portrait of a loving family faced with poverty and heartbreak, entwined with a surreal vision of the enigmatic Tin, disappearing into a mysterious labyrinth that reaches unimaginably far, yet remains hauntingly near. "Will be treasured by teens. . . . A beautiful and complex coming-of-age story that will burrow into young people’s deepest hopes and fears, shining light on the darkest rooms." - BOOKLIST (starred review)

Paperback: 272 pages

Publisher: Candlewick; Reprint edition (August 11, 2003)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0763622036

ISBN-13: 978-0763622039

Product Dimensions: 4.8 x 0.7 x 7 inches

Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces

Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #2,117,601 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #98 in Books > Teens > Historical Fiction > Exploration & Discovery #6224 in Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Social & Family Issues > Family

First of all, where on Earth does this novel take place? Thursday's Child is set during the Great Depression and so, being an egocentric American, I naturally assumed it was in the American Great Depression. But then I was confused because the characters all had Irish or Scottish accents. I read what someone else wrote about Thursday's Child and they said that it takes place in Australia based on some subtle clues in the text like local flora and place-names. That makes sense since Sonya Hartnett is a native of Australia, but do a lot of people in Australia have Irish accents? Well, at any rate, Thursday's Child isn't about the place, and it isn't even about the times so much; it is definitely about the people.Regardless of where they live, or how they speak, these are human beings just like you and me and it is easy to sympathize with them as times go from bad to worse. Our main character is Harper, youngest of the family at the beginning of the story. Little Harper doesn't know anything about depressions but she knows that times are tough and she can see how it is affecting the various members of her family. Through Harper's eyes we witness first-hand how one setback after another wears away at the resolve of her parents until they begin to withdraw, leaving the children mostly to fend for themselves. It is the final, climactic tragedy that strikes the family that finally wakes the parents up.Sonya Hartnett had her first novel published when she was just 15 years old and it's been full speed ahead ever since. It's easy to see why so many people like her books. Sometimes I read a book and only get fuzzy, gray images of what the author is trying to describe, but Hartnett's pictures come in sharp and clear and in full color.

Thursday's Child Pilgrims: A Nonfiction Companion to Magic Tree House #27: Thanksgiving on Thursday The Umbrian Thursday Night Supper Club Nancy Silverton's Sandwich Book: The Best Sandwiches Ever--from Thursday Nights at Campanile Thursday Night Pizza The Eyre Affair: A Thursday Next Novel Magic Tree House Collection Volume 7: Audio Books 25-28 on the CD: #25 Stage Fright on a Summer Night; #26 Good Morning, Gorillas; #27 Thanksgiving on Thursday; #28 High Tide in Hawaii One Thursday Morning: Inspirational Christian Romance (Diamond Lake Series Book 1) Thanksgiving on Thursday (Magic Tree House #27) Gettin' Through Thursday War Child: A Child Soldier's Story Colors & Shapes (Brighter Child Workbooks Brighter Child Preschool Workbooks) Warming the Stone Child: Myths & Stories about Abandonment and the Unmothered Child The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind Raising Your Spirited Child, Third Edition: A Guide for Parents Whose Child Is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, and Energetic You and Your Anxious Child: Free Your Child from Fears and Worries and Create a Joyful Family Life (Lynn Sonberg Book) You Are Your Child's First Teacher, Third Edition: Encouraging Your Child's Natural Development from Birth to Age Six Raising a Sensory Smart Child: The Definitive Handbook for Helping Your Child with Sensory Processing Issues, Revised Edition Parenting a Child Who Has Intense Emotions: Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills to Help Your Child Regulate Emotional Outbursts and Aggressive Behaviors The ADD Answer: How to Help Your Child Now--With Questionnaires and Family-Centered Action Plans to Meet Your Child's Specific Needs