Synopses & Reviews
"Since the day I found out about Emma, I seemed to have gone to the bad. I was rude. I told lies. I listened at doors and read other people's letters if they left them about. I was always losing things . . . watches, cameras, and silver bracelets. And whenever my mother reproached me, I screamed at her, 'Look who's talking? Who lost her own baby? Who lost my sister? Just because you wanted a new dress?'"
Convinced that her family's problems will end if only Emma is returned by the person who snatched her from her baby carriage, Kate longs for the older sister she never knew. But when a thin, spiky-haired stranger with hard eyes shows up with a letter claiming she's the long-lost sister, there's more trouble than ever. This "Emma" is certainly not the sister Kate imagined.
Review
Alcock's skillful use of clues keeps readers guessing. . . . Although the subject is heavy and the emotions intense, the story is not without humor and wit. . . . A colorful story that radiates with life.
Review
Alcock's novels are admired here and in her native England for inventive plotting and crackling dialogue that individualize her unusual characters. Publishers Weekly
Alcock's skillful use of clues keeps readers guessing. . . . Although the subject is heavy and the emotions intense, the story is not without humor and wit. . . . A colorful story that radiates with life. School Library Journal
About the Author
Vivien Alcock (1924 - 2003) is the well-known author of many compelling mysteries and supernatural fantasies for children. Childhood is, she once wrote, "an exciting and dangerous time, and it fascinates me." Her books reflect that excitement, danger, and fascination.