My Friend Annie introduces the reader to more of Janet Sandison's "Friends" and take the reader back into Janet's childhood. In time it is the direct sequel to My Friend Monica, and it is an important book in the series.
Main Characters in My Friend Annie
- Janet Sandison
- Duncan Sandison
- Jean Gray
- Hugh Reid
- Alexander Alexander ("Twice")
- Sir Ian Dulac
- Sandy MacLean
- George
- Tom
My Friend Annie - The Plot
My Friend Annie begins at the death of Janet's mother just two days after the birth of John. With a ten year gap between them, Janet had always felt like an only child and this was sure to bring change, but tragically it brought change of a different kind. Several months after this happened Janet emerges from a "fog" that she has little memory of, to discover her father needs to take employment in the south of Scotland. She is to go with him and attend the local "academy" in Cairnton, a mining town near Glasgow. After George and Tom have managed to convince Janet that the move could be a great thing she gets excited about starting a new phase of her life. Eventually they move into their new house, Janet starts a new school and Jean Gray moves into their lives as housekeeper.
Janet and Jean do not see eye to eye on any subject and, in actual fact, Jean causes years of unhappiness. Fortunately, the friendship that Janet develops with Hugh proves to be an enduring one. Despite Jean's attempts at ruining things between them both, Duncan helps Janet to stay strong to her family values and honour Hugh, even though Jean despises him because of his disability and illegitimacy. For all the years Janet lives in Cairnton, Jean is complaining that Janet is "not like ither folk" and this only worsens when Jean becomes Janet's step-mother.
If it were not for the holidays among the unchanging loveliness of Reachfar (the family croft) Janet could not have coped with all Jean's venom and anger.
So where does Annie come into it? Annie is the daughter of a neighbour who simultaneously fascinates and disgusts Janet. The story eventually moves to telling of Janet and Twice's life in St. Jago when, most surprisingly, Janet meets Annie and Hugh again. This fourth book in the series really challenges the judgments and opinions that we readily form about people and the place they come from. It is moving to see the role of George and Tom in this book – the anchor during Janet's storm and the ones who help Janet keep faith with humanity.
It is advisable to read the My Friend books in sequence and, after My Friend Annie, comes My Friend Sandy, which is almost completely set in the Caribbean.
My Friend Annie was published in 1961 by Macmillan and in 1963 in paperback by Pan Books.
Linda Smallwood - Hi my name is Linda Smallwood. I am married with two sons aged 13 and 11 and live in North Wales. After 18 years working for The ...
