The Wolves of Willoughby Chase

Joan Aiken

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase was one of my whole class' favorite books in fourth and fifth grade. While looking for a copy of it on ebay once, I stumbled upon a film of the same name, based on the book, never released in America. I figured it was time to re-read the book before tracking down the movie.

It holds up exceptionally well. Bonnie and Sylvia's adventures are just as fun forty years later as they were back when the book came out. A few of the more esoteric references may confuse younger readers (but this is a great opportunity for parents to get into "when I was your age..." stories, so we won't hold that against it). In case you've been living in a cave since 1963, the story follows Bonnie and Sylvia, a plucky pair of youngsters. Bonnie has been spoiled rotten by her loving parents, while Sylvia grew up hard on the streets of London, looked after only by a doting aunt. The two of them come together at Willoughby Hall only days before Bonnie's parents leave on a long sea voyage. To keep the girls out of trouble and oversee the house while they're gone, the parents hire Miss Slighcarp, a distant cousin none of them has ever met. Miss Slighcarp, of course, turns out to be nothing like Bonnie's parents, and complications ensue.

Oddly, the book works partly because it shouldn't. Spoiled brats should never be as sympathetic as Bonnie is (though her transformation into a resourceful and productive member of society is a time-honored subplot done very well here), but Bonnie's engaging manner helps the reader get through the setup; it tends to jar at times, for example when she's cheerfully oblivious to her own thoughtlessness while showing Sylvia around the toyroom. All, though, goes to advance the plot nicely.

The book's largest failing has nothing to do with the book itself, but with the dust jacket synopsis, which gives away most of the book before the cover is even cracked. Do copywriters of this sort get fired from publishing houses? I certainly hope so.

A lovely piece of work, worth getting reacquainted with. If you've never read it, do so now; it doesn't matter if you've already reached adulthood. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase is enchanting for all ages.