Take Me With You When You Go

Bea and Ezra are brother and sister. Their story opens with Ezra sending a secret email to his older sister Bea asking where she has gone. Throughout this epistolary narrative it emerges that both siblings are seeking escape from their abusive mother and stepfather. Their father left the family when Bea was aged three, before the birth of Ezra. The novel does not initially explain what has become of the absent father. To what lengths will the children go to escape mistreatment? Is it possible that they will find a new family and a source of genuine affection? Is it possible for children from such a damaging background to learn to trust others?

The book is marked by a limitation imposed by the authors. The narrative unfolds through the medium of emails exchanged between the siblings. As in real life, the context underlying emails remains unstated. In this instance the reader is often left with questions prompted by a message – questions destined to remain unasked and for the present at least unanswered.

The authors handle difficult themes with considerable skill, themes such as the abuse of defenceless children and the abduction of the young. The overall message of the book however is positive and uplifting. Even in the most adverse and intimidating circumstances these children maintain their aspiration towards a more stable and rewarding existence. They prove to be uncrushable.