Publishers Weekly
During a visit to her cousin Fan's home in the Australian countryside in 1952, anxious Clementine is charmed by the spirited 10-year-old, even as she despises the cruel aunt who belittles and abuses Fan. Though subsequent visits and letters are rare, their bond remains over the years, though Clementine grows increasingly guilty, feeling a "sense of luck and privilege," as she goes off to university while Fan sinks into depression after an unhappy teenage marriage and children of her own. From the intimate portraits of both girls, readers will understand the advantages and challenges of each cousin's life. Mostly, though, they will be moved by how Printz Honor–winner Clarke's (One Whole and Perfect Day) vivid, beautifully told novel captures how powerless children can be to control the most basic elements of their lives--and the magical connections they can form despite their hardships. Clementine and Fan's love is particularly moving in small moments, as when Fan comes out of a spontaneous cartwheel, "hand held out, palm open, as if she were presenting to her cousin... everything marvelous she might ever do in the world." Ages 14–up. (Oct.)
Children's Literature
- Donna Ashcraft
Clementine and Fan are two cousins growing up in the 1950s in Australia. Clementine lives in the city with a stable family, and Fan in a rural area with her single mother. Told through the eyes of Clementine, she sees herself as plain and immature, while she regards Fan as confident, very attractive and mature. As the story follows these girls from childhood to young adults, fates and perspectives change, and Clementine learns that dreams and expectations can turn out far differently than anticipated. Beautifully written with extensive description and subtly echoing symbols, the hard lessons learned by both girls as they grow will endear the story to young adult female readers. The theme is weighty and the lives are filled with hardships, it is a good choice for those who prefer serious literature. Reviewer: Donna Ashcraft
VOYA
- Francisca Goldsmith
Cousins Clementine and Fan actually meet only three times in the course of their lives, yet each indelibly marks the other's perceptions of both life and self. From the vantage of her seventh decade, middle-class Clementine remembers their youthful relationship and her perceptions of Fan as the two girls matured into young women. Fan's experiences—featuring emotional as well as economic poverty—are described in vivid and sensory-rich detail, especially as she confronts her adult frustrations. This is a luminous story that is fully fleshed and carefully plotted, sporting a cast of characters who, no matter how minor, ring true and three dimensional. Aspects of Australian mythology are woven into Fan's perceptions of her world, but American youth will have no difficulty grasping these motifs. In addition to having the making of a modern classic, this is a book that will appeal to both older teens and adults, making it a fine choice for mother—daughter or mixed-age book discussion groups. Reviewer: Francisca Goldsmith
VOYA
- Courtney Huse Wika
The Winds of Heaven is a heartbreaking chronicle of two cousins, Fan and Clementine, and their coming-of-age in Australia. The two are bonded as close as sisters after their first holiday together in 1952. Clementine is awkward and shy, a year younger than vivacious ten-year-old Fan, and she is captivated by her cousin's spirit, stories, and beauty. As irrepressible as she may seem, however, Fan's life is a tragic one. Labeled "slow" by her teachers and regularly whipped by her abusive mother, Fan leaves school at fourteen to pursue love and work. Three years later she is abandoned by her husband and left as a single mother. Fan's world is very different from Clementine's city life, where she is surrounded by a nuclear family, privilege, and private school. Despite the distance between them, the two are connected by a bond that transcends time, but a bond that, ultimately, is not enough to keep them together. Fan's and Clementine's narrative voices are beautifully rendered in this novel by Judith Clarke. While Clementine's voice is primary, a number of passages are dedicated to Fan's unflinchingly honest and heart-rending story. The dual narrative calls attention to the concept of perception; while Clementine sees Fan as everything beautiful in the world, Fan's account reveals the truth of her loneliness and unhappiness. The novel explores how friendship and familial bonds influence the very people we become but also touches on the reality of depression and the depths of maternal sacrifice. Reviewer: Courtney Huse Wika
Kirkus Reviews
Although their lives take different paths, two cousins growing up in Australia have a lasting impact on each other in this poignant story. An only child of loving parents, nine-year-old Clementine travels by train from Sydney to rural Lake Conapaira in 1952 to visit her cousin Fan and her embittered aunt. Lovely, sweet, free-spirited Fan, whose laugh resembles "a handful of bright water flung into the air," enchants quiet, sober Clementine, and the cousins become friends. Clementine visits Fan two more times, but their lives have diverged. A serious student, Clementine's en route to university with her future ahead of her while Fan's uneducated, married with two children and desperate for something more—with tragic consequences. Beginning and ending in 2009 with the aging Clementine remembering her beautiful cousin, the story unfolds slowly in the third person, focusing on Clementine and Fan's enduring influence on her life. Introspective, quiet prose, authentic coming-of-age characters and appreciation for the social values shaping Australian women in the mid-20th century make this a moving read. (Historical fiction. 14 & up)
