The Girl Who Raced the World by Nat Harrison
A blast from the first train whistle to the final sprint, The Girl Who Raced the World is a big-hearted rewrite of Jules Verne’s classic adventure Around the World in 80 Days.
Fantastic debut novel
Just before she died, Maggie’s mum gave her a letter to deliver to Monsieur Jean Passepartout. But moments before Maggie can do so, the mysterious letter is confiscated by a policeman and Maggie is plunged into a madcap race around the world as second valet to the formidable Phileas Fogg.
A wager’s been set: adventure’s afoot.
But chasing the rising sun is no easy task in 1872. Railways are not yet complete. Bandits are abroad. Charlatans and rogues abound. There’s more to catching a train than reading a timetable. Lucky for Fogg, he’s supported by a devoted crew - with brave, quick-thinking Maggie at the heart of it all.
While being faithful to Verne’s original adventure, Nat Harrison has given the story some elegant upgrades: the pale-faced Indian damsel-in-distress is now the sharp-shooting damsel-in-britches Valentine, a character I adored from the moment she tipped up her wide-brimmed hat. And Harrison’s unmasking of the real villain is the piece that’s missing from Verne’s.
Passepartout’s theatrical lines are great fun to read aloud, and I particularly liked Jack.
There are some lovely emotions provoked by the mystery of Passepartout’s letter, and I found the revelation very affecting. It was just as I’d hoped!
‘One more chapter?’ I say to my children. ‘Two, two!’ they’ve been yelling back.
Great fun! Recommended for middle grade readers and Verne enthusiasts!
Many thanks to Nat Harrison and Piccadilly Press for my proof copy.
WHAT TO READ NEXT
Peril on the Atlantic by A.M. Howell
The Polar Bear Explorer’s Club by Alex Bell
