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callmemadamNo Going Back (1960)
At the start of the book, Tamzin is experimenting with new hairstyles (a bad sign), when Rissa shouts out that a hearse is coming up the drive. It’s driven by Meryon, who’s borrowed it to take (and pass) his driving test. When they all pile in for a ride, Rissa gets into a huff because Meryon makes it clear he would like Tamzin sitting next to him and she starts wondering about changing her own hairstyle. Oh dear. There’s a sub-plot in this book about Jim Decks buying the hearse (before passing his test!) and setting up a funeral business with Hookey Galley. Naturally, they are smuggling again. Really, the book is all about Meryon, Tamzin and what will happen to the gang of four.
A night time fishing trip is planned with Jim and Hookey. Neither Rissa nor Roger can go and Meryon says to Tamzin that it’s nice to have just the two of them alone. Tamzin is seasick, as she often is and Meryon, looking after her, realises that even when she looks terrible, Tamzin is the one. He makes it clear and when Tamzin protests that she’s only fourteen, replies, ‘Juliet was fourteen.’ This is the point from which there is no going back. Even Tamzin’s parents notice, in an amused way, that the relationship has changed. Tamzin is confused. On the one hand, she’s happy and realises that she’s always ‘adored’ Meryon. On the other, she doesn’t feel ready for ‘romance’, by which I suppose she means a little hand holding and kissing and she also feels guilty about Rissa, who is not her normal, cheerful self.
The weather turns cold enough for skating. Meryon is, naturally, a brilliant skater and Tamzin tries to avoid being with him too much, yet is slightly jealous to see him dancing on ice with a girl who’s a much better skater than she is. Tamzin has a chat with Roger from which it’s obvious that he and Rissa have been discussing the situation. Rissa thinks everything has changed but he doesn’t think it needs to. It’s obvious, he says, that Meryon is ‘nuts about’ Tamzin but this seems perfectly normal to him, since most of the chaps at school have ‘a special girl’. What is not clear to either is whether Rissa is jealous because she fancies Meryon herself, or just wants them to go back to being four friends.
Tamzin thinks she’s made herself clear to Meryon, the boys don’t appear for a while and Rissa says they’ll probably all go their own separate ways now. Then at the end of the book, something happens to change Tamzin’s mind. There’s a storm (not as bad as the one in Storm Ahead) and when the lifeboat maroon goes off, Tamzin and her father go to help launch her. Mr Grey then says that they’re two men short, he’s going and not to worry. She sees Meryon, togged up to go out with the men: ‘a boy who was old enough to risk his life at sea, for the sake of others, but too young to hold a girl’s hands.’ She rushes to hold his hands and beg him to come back safely. ‘I always come back.’ he says later. That’s it then, they are an item. This doesn’t stop the foursome, as their next project is to help Jim start a respectable business and give up smuggling for good. Some hopes! It also turns out that Rissa and Roger are rather keen on Dion and Lindsey, whom they’ve been visiting at Punchbowl Farm (in The Outsider). How convenient. Was Lindsey the girl Roger told Tamzin that he ‘liked’ when they had their chat on the ice?
This is the last of Monica Edwards’ books which I borrowed from the library when I was just the right age for it; all the others I read when I was grown up. I do remember that my main reaction on that long-ago reading, was feeling terribly sorry for Rissa, who was and is my favourite character (apart from Diccon’s friend Butterbeans Pope).
At the start of the book, Tamzin is experimenting with new hairstyles (a bad sign), when Rissa shouts out that a hearse is coming up the drive. It’s driven by Meryon, who’s borrowed it to take (and pass) his driving test. When they all pile in for a ride, Rissa gets into a huff because Meryon makes it clear he would like Tamzin sitting next to him and she starts wondering about changing her own hairstyle. Oh dear. There’s a sub-plot in this book about Jim Decks buying the hearse (before passing his test!) and setting up a funeral business with Hookey Galley. Naturally, they are smuggling again. Really, the book is all about Meryon, Tamzin and what will happen to the gang of four.
A night time fishing trip is planned with Jim and Hookey. Neither Rissa nor Roger can go and Meryon says to Tamzin that it’s nice to have just the two of them alone. Tamzin is seasick, as she often is and Meryon, looking after her, realises that even when she looks terrible, Tamzin is the one. He makes it clear and when Tamzin protests that she’s only fourteen, replies, ‘Juliet was fourteen.’ This is the point from which there is no going back. Even Tamzin’s parents notice, in an amused way, that the relationship has changed. Tamzin is confused. On the one hand, she’s happy and realises that she’s always ‘adored’ Meryon. On the other, she doesn’t feel ready for ‘romance’, by which I suppose she means a little hand holding and kissing and she also feels guilty about Rissa, who is not her normal, cheerful self.
The weather turns cold enough for skating. Meryon is, naturally, a brilliant skater and Tamzin tries to avoid being with him too much, yet is slightly jealous to see him dancing on ice with a girl who’s a much better skater than she is. Tamzin has a chat with Roger from which it’s obvious that he and Rissa have been discussing the situation. Rissa thinks everything has changed but he doesn’t think it needs to. It’s obvious, he says, that Meryon is ‘nuts about’ Tamzin but this seems perfectly normal to him, since most of the chaps at school have ‘a special girl’. What is not clear to either is whether Rissa is jealous because she fancies Meryon herself, or just wants them to go back to being four friends.
Tamzin thinks she’s made herself clear to Meryon, the boys don’t appear for a while and Rissa says they’ll probably all go their own separate ways now. Then at the end of the book, something happens to change Tamzin’s mind. There’s a storm (not as bad as the one in Storm Ahead) and when the lifeboat maroon goes off, Tamzin and her father go to help launch her. Mr Grey then says that they’re two men short, he’s going and not to worry. She sees Meryon, togged up to go out with the men: ‘a boy who was old enough to risk his life at sea, for the sake of others, but too young to hold a girl’s hands.’ She rushes to hold his hands and beg him to come back safely. ‘I always come back.’ he says later. That’s it then, they are an item. This doesn’t stop the foursome, as their next project is to help Jim start a respectable business and give up smuggling for good. Some hopes! It also turns out that Rissa and Roger are rather keen on Dion and Lindsey, whom they’ve been visiting at Punchbowl Farm (in The Outsider). How convenient. Was Lindsey the girl Roger told Tamzin that he ‘liked’ when they had their chat on the ice?
This is the last of Monica Edwards’ books which I borrowed from the library when I was just the right age for it; all the others I read when I was grown up. I do remember that my main reaction on that long-ago reading, was feeling terribly sorry for Rissa, who was and is my favourite character (apart from Diccon’s friend Butterbeans Pope).
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Date: 2023-06-09 03:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-06-09 05:51 pm (UTC)Fear not, two more posts will wrap up Romney Marsh! I haven't decided yet whether to do the Punchbowl books as well ...