Originally published in 1967, When Marnie Was There by Joan G. Robinson was recently re-released in anticipation of its new Japanese anime movie adaptation, which is due out soon (with a spring 2015 release date for the U.S.). Although I hadn’t heard of the middle-grade novel before, apparently its author was quite well known for her children’s books. I enjoyed listening to the audiobook of this gentle yet surprisingly complex story of a misfit finding her place in the world.
Anna is an orphan who lives with foster parents. She doesn’t
talk much or have any friends, and her caring foster parents arrange for her to
spend a season at the seaside with a kind old couple named Mr. and Mrs. Pegg,
in the hopes that the fresh sea air will do her some good. Anna likes it at the
shore and spends her days wandering among the sand dunes, marshes, and waves,
though she is still very solitary.
One day, Anna meets a girl her age named Marnie, who lives
at Marsh House, and everything changes. She and Marnie become good friends,
share secrets, and spend time together – Anna has her first real friend. She
feels truly happy for the first time in a long time, but then things change
again when Marnie leaves suddenly and without warning. Anna is hurt and
confused and misses her friend.
Soon after, a new family named the Lindsays moves into Marsh
House, with five children. Emboldened by her good experiences with Marnie, Anna
is fascinated by the new arrivals and is receptive when they want to be friends
with her. She is soon a frequent visitor to the Marsh House and once again has
friends.
 |
| An image from the upcoming movie |
To that point, it all seems like a gentle, straightforward
tale, but there are mysteries and secrets woven into this sweet narrative. Anna
has questions about Marnie that she can’t answer, and a new discovery by one of
the Lindsay children throws a new wrinkle into things. I won’t say anymore
about the plot because part of the fun of this novel is the surprises uncovered
along the way. It has more complexity than I first thought and is an engaging,
unique story about friendship and family, both the kind you come from and the
kind you make for yourself.
Listening Library
You can listen to a sample of the audio at this link:
This looks like a sweet book and I love the picture from the movie :) . Thanks for sharing with Small Victories Sunday Linkup and hope you join us again this weekend! Pinning to our linkup board.
ReplyDelete