We Wish We’d Written: Honor and Perdita Cargill

The mother and daughter writing team behind the popular Waiting for Callback series on the ‘almost perfect’ book they both wish they’d written.

For either of us, picking just one book we wish we’d written would have been hard; agreeing on one was nearly impossible but we’ve chosen Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson. We both love all her books – from the sly, sniggery wit of Which Witch to the escapism of titles like The Secret Countess, but Journey to the River Sea is an almost perfect children’s novel. Brilliantly written, funny and fast-paced, it’s a glamourous adventure: the Amazon! Giant Sloths! Orphans! An unpredictable governess! Runaway heirs! Imposters and bigoted villains (the ghastly Carters)! Who could resist? And Maia is perfect – good and brave and curious, without falling into cloying or annoying, “There was no doubt about it; Maia was a heroine, but not the kind that people envied; more the kind that got burnt at the stake.” It’s a must-read.

The Cargills’ latest book It’s a Wrap (978-1471166150) concludes the Waiting for Callback series and is published by Simon and Schuster.

Journey to the River Sea is published by Macmillan Children’s Books, £6.99