The third in a series of books about the friendship between Katie and Zillah. Lyrical writing combined with excellent characterisation and a gentle plot make this a winner. Life in Cornwall is wonderful, particularly at the beginning of the summer hols before the start of secondary school. But when Zillah develops serious nose bleeds, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is diagnosed, and the girls happy world falls apart. The story, told by Katie, is honest and detailed. Zillah is a feisty fighter - has always been - and the end of the story finds her in remission. Much of the strength of the novel is in the detail - the farm Zillah's parents work, the cream teas that the girls help with, the travellers who come to stay in the farm field, Katie's artistic and forgetful mum - all drawn with exquisite truthfulness. A beautiful, completely unsentimental story.