Lizzie, Love by Brenda Delamain

A fascinating historical novel for young adults set in pioneer New Zealand. The year is 1833 and Lizzie Kemp's father, James, is a missionary to Maori at Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands. Lizzie is twelve years old: sparky, determined, and recently crippled by an illness. When hers baby brother dies and her mother becomes ill, nothing Lizzie does seems able to make things better. As the eldest daughter of seven children, much is expected of her. Life isn't easy, but does God care? Is there any point in praying, as her father has taught her? Based on a true story, Lizzie, love is a moving and vibrant cameo of life in early colonial New Zealand. Brenda Delamain brings Lizzie Kemp to us: thoughtful, brave and fully alive.