The Yangtze in this story is not China's biggest waterway, but a rather magical place on the outskirts of a small town in the backwoods of Quebec, Canada
Nancy, who tells the story, is down-to-earth, practical and dead keen to know everything. Her main challenge in life is her elder brother Andrew. Nancy calls him a 'big thinker'. Their mother calls Andrew a 'dreamer'.
Clare and Amy are Nancy's best friends and neighbours. They live their lives between a tumble down house and the back of a huge old car.
and then there is Sandra and her teenage sister Tracy, with their white socks, shiny shoes and magazines full of boys. Their mother thinks Nancy is a bad influence. Nancy knows there is something weird about Sandra and Tracy. Why is their house such a horrible place to be?
With a few quick brush strokes Karen Wallace transports the reader to a time and a place where children enjoyed a freedom that is impossible to imagine today. The plot moves along quickly, its profound observations and simple truths skilfully unveiled through vivid and authentic dialogue. It's the story of a summer when old dreams are shattered and new dreams are born. For Nancy and her friends, things will never be the same.
