A Spoonful of Jam
1998
First Published
3.92
Average Rating
352
Number of Pages
Part of Series
By the author of Goodnight Mr Tom, this is a heart-warming story of a young girl growing up in the immediate post-war era. For Elsie, though, the fighting isn't over. Not only does she have to cope with the indifference of her father, himself adjusting to family life after the war, she also has to run the gauntlet of a vicious bully and cope with being a scholarship girl at the local grammar school. Through her work with the local repertory theatre, Elsie's confidence slowly grows and she finds herself able to confront all her demons. This is the rich and dramatic story of a young girl who manages to overcome many obstacles in her attempts to lead a normal life. Michelle Magorian's great strength is her ability to understand both the vulnerabilities and the strengths of her characters, and to imbue even the most distressing events with elements of humour and warmth. —Philippa Reece
Avg Rating
3.92
Number of Ratings
747
5 STARS
27%
4 STARS
44%
3 STARS
24%
2 STARS
4%
1 STARS
1%
goodreads
Author
Michelle Magorian
Author · 14 books
British children's author Michelle Magorian - author of the celebrated Goodnight, Mr. Tom (1981), which won The Guardian Children's Fiction Prize - was born in Southsea, Portsmouth, in 1947. She trained to be an actress, studying at the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama, and at Marcel Marceau's L'école Internationale de Mime in Paris. While pursuing an acting career, Magorian became interested in children's books, writing her first novel for young readers (Goodnight, Mr. Tom) over the course of four and a half years.
