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Editorial Review Product Description
Reader t.b.a.
approx. 4.5 hours
3 cassettes
Saffron's two sisters, Cadmium and Rose, and her brother Indigo were all named from a color chart by their mother Eve, a fine-arts painter.When Saffron, known as Saffy, discovers that her name is not on the chart, it soon leads to another discovery.She has been adopted.
Life in the Banana House, as their home is called, is never dull.Caddy, the eldest, is taking driving lessons from an instructor who happens to be a very attractive young man.Indigo dreams up ways, sometimes quite dangerous, to conquer fear.Rose, the youngest, has learned how to get her own way without upsetting the other.As for Saffy, all she remembers from when she was very small is a stone angel in a garden in Italy.With the help of a newfound friend, Saffy sets out on an adventurous and sometimes hilarious search for her angel. ... Read more Customer Reviews (42) 
Quick, warm and humorous read for young girls
Saffy's Angel is the first book in a series of five books about the Casson family. Our main character is 12 year old Saffron, or Saffy as she's called on a daily basis. We also meet Saffy's family. her mother and father and her three siblings. Saffy's mother, Eve, spends most of her days in the shed, painting, and the father, Bill, spends his week in his studio in London. The four Casson children mostly cares for themselves, being a painter doesn't leave much time to raise children(it's not that the parents doesn't love their children!).
One day Saffron starts pondering why her name isn't on the coloring chart. All her siblings are named after a color, why is she named after a spice? Saffy's world turns upside down when she discovers the truth.
One day Saffy argues with her dad, she runs after his taxi and in frustration throws his lunch after the car(which is long gone) as she turns around to head home she crashes into the wheelchair of the girl next door, Sarah. Sarah more or less force Saffy to become her friend(the Casson kids kind sees Sarah as a stuck up snob). It doesn't take the girls long to become the best of friends.
All of the sudden the Casson childrens grandfather perishes. In his will he leaves each of the children an item, most of the things are long gone. Saffy has been left an angel and she is somehow sure that this angel really exsists somewhere, but where? Saffy has some vague memories of an angel in a garden. After a little while Saffy get's a lead on the angel, it might be in Sienna in Italy, how does she get there? Saffy needn't have worried, Sarah is used to getting her way and manages to persuade her parents that a trip to Italy is just what they need this holiday. And just like that Saffy is being smuggled away to Italy to find her angel.
Saffy's older sister, Caddy, is taking driving lessons and to say that Caddy isn't a particulary good driver might actualy be an understatement. Perhaps the reason for this is Caddy's crush on her driving teacher, Michael?The lessons are at least very entertaining for the readers, here's a little excerpt from one of Michael and Caddy's driving lessons:
"What do you notice about this street?" he asked conversationally.
"Lovely gardens," said Caddy, getting out her hamster.
"It's one-way! Turn right, I said, and instead you turned left up a one-way street! Then you parked in the fire station exit. And that mirror is for looking behind you, not admiring your lipstick in!"
Since I'm already quoting I have to add the description of my favorite character in this book, Indigo, Saffy's younger brother:
Indigo was a thin, dark-haired little boy with anxious indigo-colored eyes. He had a list in his head of things that did not matter (such as school), and another list of things that did. High on Indigo's list of things that mattered was his pack. That was how he thought of his sisters. His pack.
This book is a quick, warm and humorous read. Can be recommended for girls age abt. 10-16 years old.
Saffy's Angel
ISBN 0807208248 - Before I picked up this book, I'd read a review, someplace, that referred to the book as "British comedy". Since it's a childrens' book, that made me curious. I've never read - or listened to - a childrens' British comedy. And I still haven't. This is nothing even remotely like a British comedy, unless you're going to count Julia Sawahla's accent.
Saffy's parents are both artists. Her father maintains a studio in town, while her mother paints at home. Her father is prententious and, apparently, untalented, while her mother is subtle and skilled. This only comes to light slowly, as does everything else in the story. Saffy's siblings are... colorful. Literally. Indigo, Cadmium and Rose have all been named for colors on the color chart; knowing this is why Saffy - Saffron - is so bothered to discover that her name is not on the chart at all. Eventually, her parents tell her that she is actually the daughter of her mother's sister, who died in Italy when Saffy was a baby. Saffy feels as if she's lost her family and sometimes, to guard against their rejection, she rejects them first. A minor collision brings Sarah, a wheelchair-bound neighbor, into Saffy's life just when she needs a friend. When the childrens' grandfather dies, Saffy's father ridicules his will. He hadn't owned anything and couldn't leave the children anything! Still Saffy is certain that his note about "Saffy's angel" is real, and her angel is out there. All she has to do is find her.
Sawahla's reading, and her accent (I know, that's so American to say), is probably what made this book for me. The greatest negative in the story are the parents, quite possibly the worst - and most oblivious - parents in the history of the world. The kids, however, all make up for it. This is a nice story about what really makes a family, for ages 8 and up.
- AnnaLovesBooks
Fantastic!
This book was a delightful read. I immediately fell in love with all the Cassons. The characters felt real and lovable, and I loved their quirky life style. It was defintely a unique book. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a charming and unforgetable book.
File Under M For Misandry
Whew! I'm about a quarter of the way through the book and already I'm thinking I hope no boys come along to read it.
Saffy's Angel
I rented this audio CD from the library and it was wonderful!Too bad that you do not stock it.
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