A Funeral For An Owl opens with the unexpected and shocking stabbing of a teacher in the school playground on the last day of the summer term. As Jim Stevens lies bleeding, fellow teacher Ayisha comes to his aid along with one of the pupils, a boy called Shamayal, who seems to be treating Mr Stevens more as a friend than a teacher. After the initial shock, and with Jim in hospital, Ayisha discovers that the strict rules of conduct that apply to teacher/pupil relationships have been broken by Jim, who, we learn in flashback, has taken Shamayal under his wing. Ayisha likes Jim, and doesn't want to get him into trouble so sits on this information, but when Jim asks her to look out for Shamayal, she is torn between her friend and colleague and The Rules. Into this, we also find out about Jim's difficult upbringing, and how he found solace by becoming a serious bird watcher - something that led him into a traumatic experience when he happens upon the troubled Aimee, a girl who becomes a firm friend over a few weeks, only to suddenly disappear amidst rumour and scandal. The story is teased out in a very satisfactory way and the characters are likeable, if not always believable. There are touching moments and a dash of humour too. I found myself rooting for the main protagonists through all their troubles and the fact that I cared what happened to them speaks volumes. This is a story about how intensely you feel about things when young, and how some of us can overcome the troubles of our past and others cannot. I would recommend this book to you, and I will definitely look out for more books by the author, Jane Davis, who has produced a story that lingers in your subconscious long after you have finished it.
My STAR rating: FOUR.
Length: 384 print pages.
Price I paid: Free (it was on offer at the time)
Formats available: print; ebook.
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