Amelia had been fascinated by the lamp at the top of the stairs from the moment she had been old enough to be fascinated by anything. From the bottom of the stairwell, four storeys below, the lamp didn’t look so big, and it was only when you were at the top that you realised how large it really was. ..The metalwork flowed with intricate patterns and there were hundreds of tiny spaces out of which the light filtered in a wonderful, stippled, hazy glow.
Amelia lives in an unusual house, standing four stories high and filled with her mother’s artworks and her father’s inventions. For Amelia, though, the most special part of the house is the beautiful lamp that hangs outside her bedroom. Amelia thinks that she is the only one who knows the secret of the lamp, but then she meets the Princess Parvin Kha-Douri and realises there are some things she doesn’t know about the lamp – and about people in general.
Amelia Dee and the Peacock Lamp is a whimsical tale with an enchanting cast and intriguing setting. While the characters, setting and events are all fantastical, the message is very real. Author Odo Hirsch has a knack of creating a world which is at once beyond belief yet resonant and absorbing. You want the people to be real, and you want to see the places they can see.
Likely to appeal to readers aged 9 and up.
Amelia Dee and the Peacocks Lamp, by Odo Hirsch
Allen & Unwin, 2007
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