Iron Heads

Rachel is dangerously lost in the mist that shrouds Pilot Island yet the islanders and now Stevie, her dyspraxic brother, instinctively know where they are. Previous newcomers to the island have not been successful: her father's predecessor drowned and her house burnt down. The same thing happened to the lighthouse keeper. What could be just a story of the odd and unusual is the basis for a more subtle exploration of difference where human gifts are balanced out in new ways: Rachel struggles to deal with the fact that Stevie does not depend on her, that he is more in control than she is. The scene where Rachel is taught to use all her other senses when sight fails her in the fog is a powerful example of the richness of human resources. Rachel can cope and she can solve the mysteries in what becomes a very dramatic climax. This book is both exciting and thought-provoking.