This eco-fantasy, written for a middle grade readership, is an outstanding debut from author Pari Thomson. The lush cover design and beautiful illustrated map endpapers by Elisa Paganelli, give an indication of the wildly magical story which bursts to life within the covers, and there are lovely pencil illustrations at key points in the story. Many of the usual tropes of middle grade fantasy writing are to be found here: 11-year-old-child discovering hidden magical powers, a brilliantly imagined alternative world running parallel to the contemporary world which is accessible by hidden portals, a benign presence ruling the fantasy world and a battle with an evil power-crazed enemy. In this story you will find treachery, friendships, the discovery of multi-generational family bonds and a palpable love for every part of the plant kingdom. These components are nurtured into a magnificent creation by wonderfully sensuous writing, a complex plot in which little seeds sowed early on bloom to fruition in the final third, and brilliant characterisation, all of which gripped me from the opening to the closing sentences. I also loved the strands of the author’s Persian heritage which were scattered throughout the story, adding extra jewels of beauty, like pomegranate seeds on a green salad. Honestly, as I reached the final word I wanted to go back to the beginning and read the entire novel again!
Daisy Thistledown has led a quite extraordinary life since her father died during her early childhood. She has accompanied her Ma, the fearless investigative journalist, Leila Thistledown, on assignments all over the world. In my mind, Leila Thistledown now stands alongside Marina Petrovna from The Wolf Wilder, as a magnificently maverick mother from children’s fiction.
Ma bought potted orchids and geraniums wherever they stayed, and they always flowered extravagantly, miraculously, as if she was their own personal sun. Daisy knew how they felt.
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Although this peripatetic lifestyle has made forming friendships rather difficult, it has equipped Daisy with an armoury of useful skills which will serve her well through the perils of the novel. When Mr Craven, Ma’s new editor sends her off on a dangerous assignment to the Amazon, for the first time in her life Daisy is left behind, and has to stay at the most depressing boarding school on earth. Realising that she needs to escape, she follows Ma’s parting advice to head back to Kew Gardens to seek help, and sets of with Napoleon (a cat with attitude), and two gifts from her mother, a glass dandelion paperweight and an envelope containing one dry seed. After a pulse-racing dash through south-west London, Daisy manages to find the portal from Kew into the enchanted botanical paradise of Mallowmarsh, and is taken into the care of Artemis White the Commander and Head Mallow of this outpost of the Greenwild. From there she is plunged into a quest to unmask a villain on the Greyside who threatens the existence of the entire natural world, discover the whereabouts of the missing botanists and at one particularly sticky point, fight an invasion of giant slugs!
I really do not want to give away too many plot details because they are revealed so perfectly through the story that I would not want to ruin a single moment of anyone’s enjoyment. I particularly loved the subplot in which Daisy discovers a secret garden within Mallowmarsh, this transported me back (many years) to my own childhood reading of Tom’s Midnight Garden and delivered quite the emotional impact. Daisy’s bravery and devotion to her Ma lead her into some rash decisions but are all part of her charm, and the friendships that she develops with members of The Five O’Clock Club are likely to be very familiar to young readers.
Greenwild: The World Behind the Door is a fantastic book to put into the hands of anyone aged 9 years and above. At just under 400 pages it might seem a little too daunting for some children who don’t yet have the stamina to read a long novel independently, so I would strongly encourage parents and carers, teachers and librarians to choose this as a read-aloud in school or shared read at home. I strongly believe that adults will enjoy it every bit as much as children.
This book was my own purchase.
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