The History of Mischief by Rebecca Higgie
Fremantle Press, 2020. ISBN: 9781925816266.
(Age: Young Adult/Adult). Highly recommended. Rebecca Higgie's young
adult novel The History of Mischief is an excellent debut
from a new Australian author. The History of Mischief is the
worthy winner of the 2019 Fogarty Literary Award, a prize for
unpublished manuscripts by young authors.
The novel is unique in both structure and content. The story
focusses on nine year old Jessie who has recently lost her parents
in a tragic accident that also left her scarred, both physically and
emotionally. Jessie lives with her older sister Kay, who is
struggling to cope with her new parental responsibilities. One day,
Jessie finds a strange book hidden in a secret compartment in the
floor: The History of Mischief. The stories in the book
unfold chapter by chapter as Jessie and Kay read about the mischief
makers of history. We see the world evolve through the eyes of
Alexander the Great's slave in Ancient Greece, a servant of Ptolemy
III in Ancient Egypt, Mulan's mother in Ancient China and a woman
living in Paris during Napoleon's abdication, just to name a few.
Interspersed are chapters from Jessie's viewpoint as she begins to
commit her own acts of mischief.
The History of Mischief is a very unique and enjoyable novel
for those interested in history and 'stories within stories'. It is
also a novel of two sisters struggling to relate to each other and
process their enormous grief, pain and guilt; a journey that is
handled with empathy and skill by Higgie. The History of
Mischief is highly recommended for both young adults and
adults alike. Teacher's
notes are available. Themes: Family, Sisters, Grief, History,
Libraries.
Rose Tabeni