The Stone Menagerie

by Anne Fine (Author)

• New

  Paperback
  2009

  $10.17

  Ally really doesn't want to go with his mum on her weekly visit to his fragile aunt Chloe at the big Victorian hospital - until he discovers a hidden garden in the grounds. Here a young homeless couple have made themselves a home. Suddenly Ally begins to discover a new way of looking at the world - and to understand his aunt and some of her sensitivity. But there is another side to the coin, too, and the young couple must also be prepared to adapt to suit their changing circumstances.

• Used

  Paperback
  2001

  $3.97

  Ally's overbearing, acid-tongued mother makes his life difficult. Their Sunday visits to see his aunt in a mental hospital are particularly painful, until Ally discovers a hidden, overgrown garden inhabited by two eco-warriors. Inspired by his eccentric new friends Flora and Riley. Ally is surprised to find he's taking a greater interest in Aunt Chloe's locked-up feelings. Ally and Chloe each begin to find new ways of looking at the world and new responses to events around them. When Flora and Riley's baby arrives they too begin a new way of life, but not without showing everyone they meet that there is always another side to the story. For Ally, family tension is still a challenge, but both he and Chloe have found new strengths within themselves to cope with their situations.