Teen Books That Have Something to Say

Mandy

Review

Mandy
by Julie Andrews Edwards
HarperTrophy/HarperCollins (reprint),(1989)
ISBN-10: 0064402967

My rating:

Mandy is an orphan who has lived at the orphanage for a very long time—and a loneliness begins to haunt her. On one of her explorations around the orphanage grounds, she climbs over a wall and discovers a very small, old, abandoned cottage on another property. Mandy is delighted with the cottage, and wants it for her very own—for a place that feels like home.

She thoroughly cleans out the dirty cottage, and over the weeks and months, furtively finds her way back to the cottage to fix it up even more. She starts lying about where she's going and what she needs things for, because she doesn't want anyone else to break into her dream.

Then one of the other orphans follows her, and finds her cottage—and Mandy is devastated. She runs away in a storm and becomes feverish and ill—only to be discovered by the rich land owner who owns the cottage. The kind man takes her home, and he and his wife nurse her to health. Mandy hardly dares to dream that they might actually want her in their family—and then their son comes home, and her dreams are dashed. But not all is lost, for Mandy finds the family she needs.

A touching, beautiful book. If you've ever wanted someone to love you, someone to belong to, you'll be moved by this heartfelt book.

The main character is younger in age, but don't let that stop you from reading this wonderful book.