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The narrator is Rosie, a precocious eight-year-old who lives with her Auntie Maggie and Uncle Bert upstairs of their cafe in Soho. Rosiešs life is filled with interesting people who frequent the cafe. From the large Italian family who run the deli down the street, to the cross-dresser and his lady friend who own a nightclub to the local cop, TC, who may be Rosiešs dad, life is never dull. Its 1954 and most of the deprivations of wartime are past. Everyone is feeling optimistic and then the worst possible thing happens. The Widow Ginger appears. Not a woman, but a man, the name comes from obscure rhyming slang. A former G.I. who just got out of prison, Stanley (his real name) is back in London to extract revenge. It seems there may have been black market activities taking place among the friends of the cafe owners and Stanley was their contact in the U.S. Army. Sent to prison for trying to kill a fellow soldier, Stanley has decided that the old gang in England is responsible. Rosie is a delightful interpreter of events for the reader. We see the bewildering world of grown-ups through her eyes. We learn about true friendships and school day miseries, including the mean old school teacher with the improbable name of Miss Welbeloved. Rosie is a much loved child and her aunt and uncle try to shield her from the problems surrounding the return of Stanley. But Rosie will not be denied her right to snoop and to learn everything that is going on in the grown up world. While there naturally are some things she does not understand, there is a lot that she does know and she indeed comes through with flying colors at the end of the book and helps to save the day. This is the second in a series with Rosie and the gang at the cafe. Smartly written, there is a lot of slang, which is actually very cute coming from a child and there is a glossary to help interpret. Rosie and her extended family are charming; the book is witty and fun to read. Ah, for the good old days!
Reviewed by Lorraine Gelly, December 2003
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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