The Dawn of Adonis

This prequel to When The Sky Falls set in 1911 is an equally moving and remarkable tale of courage, loyalty and derring-do.

12-year-old Nettie lives with her father, a vet. Her mother died a few years previously along with her baby brother and Nettie feels their loss keenly. She is a kind-hearted girl and rescues a run over cat and asks her father to save it. Unbeknownst to her this act of kindness is witnessed by a young petty thief named Toff who whose ‘uncle’, Goliath Deeds is one of the most feared and notorious crooks in London. Toff is somewhat of a dandy and loves wearing outlandish clothes.

Goliath has acquired by nefarious means an illegally imported gorilla that he is sure will bring him fame and fortune. The gorilla has been severely mistreated and is gravely ill so Toff is despatched to find help. He brings back vet, Edward Beecroft along with Nettie. They arrive at a warehouse where they find a caged gorilla about to give birth in filthy conditions. The vet manages to save the baby but not the mother who is too weakened to survive but is badly beaten for his trouble. Nettie manages to get him home but realise his vet’s bag has been left behind. She returns to find it and finds the baby gorilla alone and whimpering. She cannot leave it and takes the baby back to her father’s. She quickly realises she is in a serious danger when Toff appears to claim his master’s property. Toff can’t quite give in to the bully either and the two children find themselves on the run with the criminal underbelly of London after them. There is danger and peril at every turn. They hide in the sewers but Nettie is betrayed by Toff but manages to escape again just in time and makes her way to Kew and a final stand-off with Goliath.

This is a non-stop roller coaster of chases and drama through London, showing the resourcefulness of the two children and the very real difficulties of looking after a hungry and fractious baby gorilla. It has all Phi Earle’s trademark emotional warmth. Although she has to give up the baby gorilla at the end of the story, Nettie finds peace and redemption in having looked after the baby and in finally naming in him Adonis, god of rebirth.