Featured Reading Guide
Shena Mackay
THE BOOK: When Percy and Betty Harlency abandon their seedy Streatham pub, for the Copper Kettle Tearoom in Kent, life for their daughter April changes dramatically. She is befriended by the wonderfully dangerous Ruby, whose red hair and brutal home life account for her love of fire and by the immaculately dressed Mr Greenridge who likes to follow her around the village. Shena Mackay has written a rare evocation of a 1950’s childhood-mingling the innocent with the sinister and laced with the tragic and the bizarre – this is an exceptional novel.
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topAbout the Book
THE BOOK: When Percy and Betty Harlency abandon their seedy Streatham pub, for the Copper Kettle Tearoom in Kent, life for their daughter April changes dramatically. She is befriended by the wonderfully dangerous Ruby, whose red hair and brutal home life account for her love of fire and by the immaculately dressed Mr Greenridge who likes to follow her around the village. Shena Mackay has written a rare evocation of a 1950’s childhood-mingling the innocent with the sinister and laced with the tragic and the bizarre – this is an exceptional novel.
topStarting Points for Discussion
- April’s first introduction to Ruby is when she sees flames coming out of a door. Explore the importance of fire as a danger signal in the novel.
- April’s parents own The Copper Kettle Café which is described as warm and a safe haven. Is there a darker side to living at The Copper Kettle? Are there other instances in the novel where apparent havens of safety hide danger – if so, what effect does this have on the novel?
- The novel contains many descriptions of mouth-watering food that can at the same time be seen as homely and erotic. What do these tantalising description add to your impressions of April and her home life?
- The Orchard On Fire is narrated by a young girl. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this particular form of narration? Consider April’s account of her encounters with Mr Greenidge – does her lack of awareness of the seriousness of the situation add to the feeling of tension in the book?
- Explore the undercurrents of violence present throughout the novel. Where do they manifest themselves, and how d they build towards the climax of the novel?
- Mr Greenidge’s abuse of April permeates the novel and hangs like a cloud over her life. What effect does the recounting of this relationship with all its attendant fears have on the power of the novel?
Other Books by Shena Mackay
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When, with the franklessness of youth, Sidonie O’Neill becomes the lover of her…
Old Crow
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The Artist’s Widow
THE ARTIST’S WIDOW opens in Mayfair gallery at the private view of the last …
The Atmospheric Railway: New…
Shena Mackay is one of the very best short-story writers in the world. As the…
The Worlds Smallest Unicorn…
An elderly woman, once an intrepid journalist, is paralysed with apprehension…
Toddler On The Run/Dust Falls…
Suggested Further Reading
- Behind the Scenes at the Museum ~ Kate Atkinson
- The Way I Found Her ~ Rose Tremain
- Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha ~ Roddy Doyle
- Through the Looking Glass ~ Lewis Carroll
- To Kill a Mockingbird ~ Harper Lee