Follies occasionally appear in literature, but seldom in works aimed at a younger readership. So it was hugely exciting to find that one of Britain’s best-loved writers of children’s fiction had featured a folly in a recent work. This year, a new work by the acclaimed writer Dame Jacqueline Wilson (100 plus books and counting) was published. The Girl Who Wasn’t There is a ghost story within a tale of family life and is beautifully illustrated by Rachael Dean. The reader is only a few pages in when young Luna and Aurora are first introduced to the dilapidated Stark’s Folly, somewhere on the south coast of England…

‘What’s a folly?’ asks Luna when she visits the tower, ‘Isn’t it something foolish?’. Her step-father, Greg, is quick to correct her, and explains that a folly is ‘an amazing building made by someone eccentric’. After years of neglect Stark’s Folly is falling apart, but it is a listed building – much to the fury of the landowner, who would very much like to reverse his tractor into it. Dreaming of sea views and a quirky home Greg snaps it up – but without asking the family first, and it is fair to say their reaction is mixed. This being Jacqueline Wilson, there are the disputes and dramas of family life, but also friendship and warmth, and whilst there is not a fairytale ending, it is a heartwarming (and spine-tingling) one.

Stark’s Folly is the product of Dame Jacqueline’s considerable imagination, beautifully brought to life by Rachael Dean, but Molly the cavapoo is real and is the author’s own dog.

Dame Jacqueline’s touching story and Rachael Dean’s enchanting illustrations will introduce a whole new generation to follies, and that can only be A Very Good Thing. The book is the perfect Christmas present for any young readers you might know (the Flâneuse is not on commission).

And proving that one is never too old to learn, the book introduced the Flâneuse to the word bungaroosh, of which Stark’s Folly is constructed (and therefore crumbling). Thanks to her bonny Brighton correspondent, the Flâneuse now knows that bungaroosh is an unusual building product. It was used almost exclusively in the Brighton area and is made of miscellaneous materials, including stones from the beach, mixed into hydraulic lime and then poured into shutters until set. It is the ‘bane of Brighton’ as it is hygroscopic and soaks up moisture from the air causing damp and collapse. The etymology of the word does not seem to be known, but as Dame Jacqueline says, it’s a ‘fantastic name’.

See the Penguin website for more on The Girl Who Wasn’t There.

And Rachael Dean’s website will tell you more about her vibrant illustrations.

Huge thanks to Dame Jacqueline Wilson and Rachael Dean for their help with this post.

Thank you for reading and please scroll down to the foot of the page if you would like to share any thoughts or comments.