Permanent Rose. A clear, warm colour that glows with its own lively brightness, no matter how thinly spread. A colour that does not fade. Just like Permanent Rose Casson. (By the way, that is her real name). Tom has left for America-but why hasn't he called? And Caddy doesn't know if she can marry Michael. Saffy just wants to know who her real dad is. But when the truth comes out, was it really any better knowing? Indigo's becoming friends with enemies. Not good. No matter how friendly they act. Eve, she's still in the shed. But crying a whole lot more. Then comes Bill...well, he's found Samantha. And finally Rose. Oh, this book. It started off a bit typical. But this was definitely the most emotional one so far. Here you really get a sense of everyone and how much their lives depend on each other. It's really hard to talk about it without spoiling, so sorry for being vague! And Hilary McKay, her writing is so good. She hints throughout every single book, so gently that by the time Rose knows, you have only just figured it out. You don't know before the characters. And I haven't really talked about Sarah, Saffy's best friend who is one of the family (not literally). She's so amazing and funny and amazing.
i thought i'd put in one of the emotional scenes, because i dont normally put in extracts of books.
"Where is Rose?" demanded Indigo, coming in at that moment.
"You had her!" said everyone, "Have you lost her again?"
Before Indigo could reply the telephone rang.
"You gave it away!" said Michael.
"You are being totally unreasonable!" snapped Caddy, banging the phone down."Saffron! There is disgusting chocolate goo all over this table!"
"Moan, moan, moan," said Saffron. "No wonder Michael dumped you! Mind that box!"
"Michael hasn't dumped me!" shouted Caddy, not minding the box which fell to the floor just as Eve came through the door carrying the carbonated swap (now cool).
"Everybody fine?" she enquired affectionately, seeming not to notice that Caddy and Saffron were angrily collecting letters and photographs from all over the room, and that the kitchen was in a state of chaos remarkable even by Casson standards. "I found this lovely cake outside, Sarah. You are so clever!"
"Eve," said Sarah, "it is hideous beyond belief."
"I always think that about mine too," agreed Eve cheerfully, "but then I ice then and they are somehow transformed...Oh."
All at once Eve realised what the papers were that lay strewn all about. She stooped and picked up a photograph. "Darling Linda," she said.
She was still looking at it when Rose came in, followed by David, who immediately trod first in a puddle of raw chocolate cake and next on a letter that had strayed across the room.
"Rose!" said Eve, kissing her. "And MarcusJoshPatrick...Which is it? I always forget."
"David," said David.
"David. Look where you are walking, David darling! Those things are very special."
"They are not," said Saffron loudly, over the sound of the telephone which had begun again. "They are not remotely special! David can walk over them as much as he likes. There was nothing in the box worth saving for so long! They made me feel like I was no one at all!"
"Oh Saffy!" exclaimed Eve. "After darling Daddy saved them so carefully for you!"
"HE IS NOT DARLING DADDY!" shouted Saffron. "Answer that telephone someone, for goodness' sake!"
David, feeling tremendously important, picked it up and said, "Hello, hello! This is David! To whom do you want to speak?"
"To Caddy of course," snapped Michael on the other end of the line. "Where is she?"
"She's here," said David. "Shaking her head. Saying no no."
Caddy rested her head on a sticky patch of table and moaned.
"Ask her what she has done with her ring!"
"What ring?" asked David.
Caddy grabbed the telephone from him and banged it down.
"What ring?" David asked again, goggling at her in surprise.
"My ring!" shouted Caddy, irritated beyond endurance. "My diamond and platinum engagement ring! That's what ring!"
"I've always liked the look of Michael," remarked Sarah to no one in particular. "I'll have him if you like, Caddy!"
"Oh no you won't!"
"Well, you don't want him! Saffy doesn't want him! Rose is still getting over that loser Tom..."
Rose picked up the plastic bowl of cake mixture (double quantities of everything, beaten egg white just stirred in) and dumped it upside down on Sarah's head.
Caddy ran upstairs.
"If anyone wants me," said Eve, "I shall be in my shed. I am tired of being a single parent and I'm not surprised Bill left."
Sarah wiped chocolate cake mixture out of her eyes and said, "Sorry, Rose."
"I'm not," said Rose.
"Come on," said Saffron to Sarah. "I'll help you wash your hair."
Indigo made tea and took it out to Eve.
Rose began to doodle in a patch of spilled flour. David groped in his mind for words that might do. He was dreadfully hot.
"It's the weather," he said, and was immediately surprised that the words he had wanted had somehow found themselves.
"Yes," agreed Rose.
"I wonder what will happen next."
"I don't know," said Rose.
