Betty Gilderdale (if you’re wondering why the name is familiar, she wrote The Little Yellow Digger) paints a vivid and very readable word portrait of the late great Margaret Mahy through brief narrative parts and longer question and answer sessions with the author herself in Magical Margaret Mahy. There is an invaluable list of Margaret Mahy’s books at the back. (120 pp, A5 size book)
I’m liking
I hadn’t read anything about Margaret Mahy’s life before and I was swept up in this fascinating, evocative yet informative book from the very first page (which describes MM arriving for a visit to a school while dressed in a penguin suit). The book gives insight into the famous author’s life and family background, and her way of looking at the world, always with a focus on how this affected her path towards becoming a storyteller. There are many excerpts from Mahy’s stories to illustrate points being discussed, which I really enjoyed.
At the end of the book there is a complete list of Margaret Mahy’s awards (1 page) and books she wrote (8 pages long!!!).
Things that made me go hmmmm
Nothing. It’s all beautiful. Perhaps not for anyone wanting a lot of scholarly details about Margaret Mahy’s life, but then that it obvious from the title and front cover (Margaret Mahy dressed in a purple wig, together with a large dog and the Lion in the Meadow).
The conclusion
Highly recommended reading for anyone who has read and enjoyed Margaret Mahy’s books. Also highly recommended reading for anyone who hasn’t read any of her books, to find out why they should go and read some immediately.
