A Threefold Cord
Howard Goldenberg; illustrated by Isabeau Colls
Hybrid, $17.95
The title of this book for children comes from Ecclesiastes: "A cord of three strands is not easily broken." The three strands are nine-year-old Melbourne friends Jennifer, Snoth and Nystagmus, from Vietnamese, Dutch and Greek families, respectively. The Threefold Cord is the club they have made of their friendship, involving a secret drink and the eating of raw onions, which may be a sly wink to adult readers. The club is dedicated to the principles of kindness and courage. Howard Goldenberg has published three other books and has worked as a doctor in remote indigenous communities, and wrote this book at the request of his grandchildren. It's an exciting tale of international smuggling involving rare diamonds, even rarer cats, and royalty from obscure European principalities. There's a faint Enid Blyton feel, as though the Famous Five had been transported to multicultural Australia.