Book of the Week

My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher
Recommended by Ryan Ko

My Sister Lives On The Mantelpiece is written by British writer Annabel Pitcher. It is the first and most successful of her six novels, and has been nominated for over 25 awards and won the 2012 Branford Boase Award.

The novel follows the family of ten year old Jamie after the death of his sister, Rose, who was killed in a terrorist attack and who for the most part of the book 'lives' on the mantelpiece in an urn (hence the title).
After the tragic events of September 9th, Jamie’s family undergoes several changes. Jamie’s parents divorce and his father becomes an alcoholic. His sister Jasmine starts to live a gothic lifestyle and starts to see a teenage rebel called Leo. Jamie never sees his mother as she stays in London with her new husband after his family moves to the Lake District and he begins to have feelings for a Muslim girl called Sunya. However, his father is not comfortable about interacting with people of the Islamic faith as Islamic terrorists were the people responsible for Rose’s death. Sunya and Jamie are banned from seeing each other yet this just causes Jamie’s feelings to strengthen.

This book is very effective as Pitcher takes up a much simpler style of writing than usual, and the use of the first person through the eyes of a young boy shows emotional rawness and vulnerability which makes a gripping plot. The novel seems realistic as Pitcher does not use extensive description or implausible plot lines, but uses simple narration and expresses several different feelings. The book delves deeply into the situation families are put in when a loved one passes, and the book touches on the subjects of terrorism, bullying and racial profiling. Despite this novel being rather emotionally tiring, Pitcher creates an impactful and moving plot, making it one of my favourite books.