The Ruby Talisman by Belinda Murrell
Random House, 2010. ISBN: 978 1 86471 987 1
(Age 10+) Highly recommended. Angry about her parents'
separation, frustrated by the additional responsibilities at home and
having become non-communicative toward her friends, Tilly goes to stay
with her aunt Kara to provide her mother with a chance to rest and
relax. Whilst there, Kara shares some information about their French
ancestors and allows Tilly to try on a precious family heirloom.
Forgetting to take the necklace off, Tillie goes to bed full of wishes
and dreams of being transported to another life. One hundred and thirty
years earlier, in Versailles, Amelie-Mathilde also goes to sleep
wishing to be saved from a loveless arranged marriage and wakes to find
Tilly alongside her. Almost immediately, the Revolution begins and the
girls embark on an adventure to escape to safety, not knowing who to
trust. As a result of her visit, Tilly influences her friends to ensure
the safety of both her predecessors and herself.
This was an easy and engaging story, filled with themes that affect the
lives of many young readers: family, separation and friendship, and is
simultaneously a coming of age novel and a history lesson rolled into
one title. Although more for female readers, it could perhaps be used
as a class text or paired with a title involving a male protagonist
such as Jackie French's Macbeth and Son. Both novels use the
knowledge
of the modern day protagonist to explain and reflect on the plights of
those in the earlier times. With a French glossary at the front of the
novel and three pages of facts regarding the French Revolution at the
end, this is a most accessible text. A highly recommended read for
readers aged ten and above.
Jo Schenkel, Pilgrim School