Dear Venny, Dear Saffron

This book contains 30 letters written over 19 months by Venny, a 16 year old underachieving Australian boy, and Saffron, an orphan living with her wealthy aunt in New York. Initially they seem to have little in common, but as the exchange continues wariness turns gradually to friendship. This emotional interplay is handled well but the framework of events around which it is built is less convincing. Saffron's luxurious lifestyle is abruptly truncated when her aunt finds her long-lost granddaughter, who replaces Saffron in her affections. Venny's rather improbable rise to fame - and literacy - as a model is curtailed when a road accident both paralyses and overwhelms him with guilt. Rather too neatly, they find happiness through their newly discovered artistic talents and set up home in an artists' studio in Greenwich Village. Although the storyline strains credulity, the exotic lifestyles and emotional disclosures make the book a rewarding read.