Title: Now Amy
Author: Elisabeth Ludbrook
Publisher: BalboaPressAU
ISBN: 8-1504309332
Genre: Young adult
Pages: 116
Reviewed by: Barbara Bamberger Scott

Read Book Review

A young girl’s hard won victory offers a source of inspiration to others in Now Amy, a novel by New Zealand author Elisabeth Ludbrook.

Life for fourteen-year-old Amy Brookfield seems almost ideal. Her parents made the tough decision to leave England after World War I and immigrate to New Zealand where they believed they would have a chance for a better existence. On their peaceful homestead, Amy rides her horse Friska, a small but gallant bay pony, almost every day. When she learns of a Ladies Mile Race coming up in the local village, she asks her father for permission to enter. But he’s sure that the pony is too small, Amy is too young and the race would be far too dangerous for his cherished child. She begins to plot to enter despite his prohibition. She befriends some of the race officials who admire her gutsy attitude. She’ll need 10 shillings for the entry fee; remarkably, she meets a merchant who’s also impressed with her determination and advances her that sum when she tries to sell a few of her prized possessions. She and Friska begin to practice for the race. Meanwhile Amy has made friends with an old Maori woman named Huia, who she believes possesses mystic powers. When she tells Huia of her desire to enter the race, the old woman gives her some special advice. When Huia’s grandson Joe, Amy’s schoolmate, learns of her plan, he secretly devises one of his own. Amy’s success will be Joe’s triumph too.

In this appealing story, Ludbrook has interwoven several threads, linking Amy and Huia’s grandson Joe, whose ambition to overcome obstacles mirrors hers. Amy wants to prove she can win a race with her equine companion; Joe longs to buy a respectable house for his poor family. In each scenario, there are cross-cultural connections that advance the plot. Amy’s unusual admiration for the Maori wise woman will prove a saving grace as she pursues her goal, while her Maori schoolmate’s fortitude in pursuit of his dream will gain the help of a pakeha (white person).

Ludbrook has constructed her narrative with admirable skill, telling it from varying viewpoints, creating a drama with surprising outcomes that will charm older children and adults alike. The setting – rural, post World War I New Zealand – provides reminders of the importance of community. And through Amy and her gutsy, open approach to life, readers will gain perspective on the importance of finding closeness with animals and the natural world, and of developing respect for all of one’s fellow human beings. This book is perfect for many ages and is definitely a much-needed “must-read” for all.