Playing Beatie Bow
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| Playing Beatie Bow | |
| Author | Ruth Park |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Novel |
| Publisher | First in 1980 by Thomas Nelson and then in 1982 by Puffin Books |
| Publication date | 1980 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 196 |
Playing Beatie Bow is an Australian children's book written by Ruth Park and first published in 1980. The story is set in Australia and is about a girl named Abigail who travels back in time to colonial Sydney-Town in the year 1873, where she meets Beatie Bow, a girl whose name has become part of Abigail's local folklore. A lot of the book is set in real-life locations around Sydney's historical Rocks district and the house is a museum that you can even look at it is 110-130 years old.
The book has been a part of the NSW and Tasmanian Primary School syllabus on and off since its publication. It has since been turned into a movie, where Abigail is played by Imogen Annesley. It is has been the recipient of Australian Book of the Year.
Characters
Lynette/Abigail Kirk
Beatrice May Bow (Beatie)
Gilbert Samuel Bow (Gibbie)
Judah Bow
Samuel Bow
Alice Tallisker (Granny)
Dorcas Tallisker (Dovey)
Justine Crown
Vincent Crown
Natalie Crown
Kathy Kirk
Weyland Kirk
Grandma
Robert Bow
Lynette Kirk was a happy young girl who was cheery and enthusiastic towards her parents and life, until one day her father went off with another woman leaving Lynette and her mother (Kathy). Lynette wanted nothing to do with her father so she changed her name to try and get everything about him out of her life. She changed her name to Abigail after wanting to be called by a witch's name after her grandmother suggested it.
She went down to the park with her next door neighbours Natalie and Vincent, finding them playing a game called, 'Beatie Bow'. After becoming very interested in a little girl that stood there watching them play (Little Furry Girl) she decided one day to follow her. This was after having a fight with her mother, when her mother told her that she had been seeing her father again and that he wanted the two of them to move back in with him and live in Norway where his architectural job was located. Abigail did not take this news well - She went for a walk to cool off, when she once again saw the little furry girl and following her found that she had followed her back into her own time of 1873. She got tripped over by the Little Furry Girl's father, then found herself at their house.
Further into the novel the character Granny (Alice Tallisker) told Abigail that she was the stranger and had the gift. The gift came from the crochet on the top of her dress which enabled her to travel and heal. The crochet was made by Granny.
She had her first real crush and finding this person (Judah) helped Abigail realise she should not be so selfish toward her parents and should let them have a decent life and marriage. She realised this because Judah was betrothed to Dovey, so therefore she realised first hand what it's like to love somebody but not be able to have them.
During the time that she was in 1873 Abigail matured by being influenced by the people that surrounded her, the world in which she lived and the events which occurred there.
