Mammoth read
1 total work
Since her best friend died, Lindsay has stopped being happy. She spends each day of the summer holiday alone on the cliffs, near the soaring gulls. When Darren tries to be friends, his incessant cheerfulness and joke-telling seem like betrayal to Lindsay. Escaping Darren's irritating company, Lindsay runs into a mysterious shop. The owner is an old, blind Indian, Bapujee. He feels her sadness, and when she is drawn to an amazing shadow-puppet in his window, he lends it to her. Lindsay's teacher suggests that their class give Lorna a special tribute using shadow figures lit from behind. Their feelings become public while they themselves stay hidden. Darren refuses to join in, but Lindsay discovers that be is making a shadow puppet with Bapujee. His seagull image flying across the screen represents Lorna's last dream. Lindsay realises that Darren has been trying to tell her that he's unhappy, too. As the magical shadows begin to heal their sadness, the class find there are different ways of grieving.