Willow Farrington Bites Back
When Willow Farrington first meets Isaac Silberstein she doesn’t know what to expect. He’s a gnome-like old man who survived a World War II concentration camp, and she’s an almost-14-year-old who is just back at school after a four-month stay in hospital with an eating disorder. He has written a recipe and gardening book, and she has to do a talk on it for school.
Birthdays, custard, book reports, gardens, families, friendship and fun all combine in this contemporary, witty and moving book.
A fresh and uplifting novel based on a true story.
“This is a genius analogy. Rebecca Bloomer has stolen my heart and gained my respect as a writer. Every school library needs this work. I loved this book.” 5 stars
Available in print and ebook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, or your favourite bookstore or online retailer.
$14.95
Book Details
| Weight | 200 g |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 203 × 133 mm |
| Extent | 88 pages |
| Format | Paperback |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Junior Fiction |
| Release date | 28 March 2017 |
| ISBN | 9781922200808 |
| Imprint | Odyssey Books |
About The Author
Rebecca Bloomer
Rebecca Bloomer is a Melbourne-based adventuress with a keen interest in everything. Rebecca’s favourite writing aids are:
*long walks (often in someone else’s shoes) *big dreams (day, night and especially in meetings) *a decent sense of humour (her own or someone else’s, it doesn’t make too much difference) *curiosity (ever wondered why cats look so smug?) *observational skills (thus the contact lenses) *quiet determination (the loud kind causes headaches)
Lisa McCombs for Readers’ Favorite –
When Willow Farrington returns to school after an extended visit to the hospital, she is not only concerned with catching up academically, but she is aware of the many difficulties associated with her prescribed illness. As an anorexic, she expects the stares and the whispers and hopes that the existence of such attention will not cause a relapse. She is no longer allowed in her family kitchen by herself. She is on a strict eating schedule and is observed closely every second of every day. Willow nearly died and her parents want to rest assured that will not happen again. As Willow works diligently to stay on track, she is concerned with the topic of her recently assigned book project. She is responsible to interview author Isaac “Izzy” Silberstein, read his book, and write a book report. Little does she know that in Izzy’s past he experienced years of non-self-inflicted starvation as a work camp prisoner during World War II.
Willow Farrington Bites Back by Rebecca Bloomer is the best YA story I have read in many, many years. This novella-length book contains exceptional character development, appropriate language, and vivid, readable passages. The plot is unique and succinct in detail. Touching the often-overlooked disease of anorexia is a brave venture, especially combined with the atrocities of the treatment of the Jewish population during this time in history. This is a genius analogy. Rebecca Bloomer has stolen my heart and gained my respect as a writer. Every school library needs this work. I loved this book. I can’t wait to read more from Rebecca Bloomer.