Wild Lily

Gr 8 Up—Set mostly in the early 1920s, this novel follows the lives of Antony and Lily. Antony is the son of a wealthy man, and he enjoys the privileges accorded to him because of his station in life. Lily's father is the head gardener for the Lockwood Estate, where Antony makes his home. While home on holiday, Antony and his small group of friends from the village have as many escapades as money and the lack of adult supervision will allow. Lily and her brother, Squashy, who has special needs, are tolerated as tagalongs. For Lily, this is the best part of her dreary life, because she believes herself to be in love with Antony. Lily follows him around, steadfast in her devotion, content to receive whatever crumbs of affection he chooses to bestow upon her. Antony, though, rarely gives her a thought unless he needs something from her. Despite warnings from her common sense and intuition, Lily commits many foolhardy acts at Antony's request, including putting her life in jeopardy. Antony is self-absorbed and rarely thinks things through, and the consequences of his actions seem to surprise him. He knows he can count on Lily's love for him; she is always around to pick up the pieces when life goes sour.