Alfreda Abbot's Lost Voice

Alfreda loses her voice somewhere on the bus coming home. She queues for ages at the Lost Voice Office only to receive the deep resonant tones belonging to someone else. Amazing her friends and leaving her headteacher speechless, she even confounds the school bully while rather enjoying her new power. Not so the true owner, actor Norbert S Quire, who reduces an audition to hysteria with his piping, feminine rendition of 'I eat my dog with relish ...'

An effervescent, witty book that bounces along with energy. I must say I enjoyed the frivolous and whimsical early chapters rather more than the complex ending with its more serious implications. For me, Alfreda's dog, Reg, listening ear-to-floor to an argument between two woodworms behind the skirting board, is an image I shall cherish for a long time!