Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Mutiny's Daughter
Historical Fiction
For ages 12 and up
HarperCollins, 2004 ISBN: 0060296380
Mary has a past that has to remain a secret. For the good of her family name, it is very important that no one should find out who her real father is. As the daughter of the infamous mutineer Fletcher Christian who instigated the mutiny on the HMS Bounty, Mary has to be very careful of what she says and does. No one in the Christian family wants the outside world to know who Mary really is for if it should get out scandal will surely follow.
It is not that hard a secret to keep when Mary lives on the quiet Isle of Man, the historical home of the Christian family. But when Mary starts going to a girl’s school in London, things get much more complicated. It seems as if no amount of caution on her part can prevent some people from finding out who she is. One of the people, a jealous and unpleasant school mate called Lizzy, uses her knowledge to blackmail Mary, a situation Mary hates but can do nothing about.
Everything is further complicated when Mary starts to get messages and hints that her father is in England and that he may in fact be in London and not that far away. How can Mary seek her father and protect the family name at the same time?
Set in the early 1800’s, Ann Rinaldi’s has drawn on her extensive experience in writing historical fiction to create this fascinating book. Using as many facts as she could find, and weaving in the products of her imagination, Rinaldi has created a work which paints a portrait of the times in intriguing detail.
