Would the settler father of a young girl growing up in Zimbabwe really allow his daughter to run so gloriously free and wild? And would the English boarding school she is sent to be quite so unaware of the terrible trouble this free-spirited girl is having in adjusting and being accepted? I’m not sure, but if one allows oneself to be carried along, this is a gutsy story of a strong, resourceful girl overcoming real difficulties. (At one stage the London Zoo, with its familiar animals, seems the only slightly familiar refuge.) For 11 to 14 year olds who are not into romantic or paranormal fiction, this is a good read.