My Sister Sif

My Sister Sif by Ruth Park (Playing Beatie Bow) tells the tale of Rikoriko and her sister Sif. Orphaned after their father died, the girls are sent to live with their aunt in Australia. After growing up on the tropical paradise of Rongo, their new home Sydney, with its mad rush and choking pollution, is absolute torture, and Riko (known as Erika in the city) hatches a plot to escape. Riko's idyllic summer on Rongo turns sour with the arrival of an American scientist, Henry Jacka, who's falling in love with Sif. Riko is bitter and upset, lashing out at those closest to her. She escapes up into the hills to vent to her friend Pig, a ground-dwelling Stone Age dwarf with an intense fear of fire. The book inserts a dizzying blend of science fiction (telepathy, space age materials, mermaids, dwarves) and heavy-handed environmental warnings (mankind will destroy the earth!) into a relatively slim story; the main focus is on Riko's intense jealousy of Henry attempting to take Sif away from her. The climax felt forced and the sacrifice trivial; the ending fared better. This was originally written in 1986, and its age clearly shows in the descriptions of the "near future": rather than space-age technology, we get environmental disasters such as underwater dead zones, active volcanoes, tornadoes and floods, resulting in the death of butterflies (not quite yet!) and bees (much closer to reality). It's still an engaging read, especially for fans of mermaid- and dolphin-centered novels such as A Ring of Endless Light: The Austin Family Chronicles, Book 4 and Emily Windsnap: Three Swishy Mermaid Tales: Books 1-3, but is much more serious in tone than other books in this genre.

I read this book when I was really young and loved it, it was intelligent and captured my imagination. I ended up reading it more than once

I remember reading this for the first time years ago, and it simply captivated me. The story is one that I enjoyed, but also was a vehicle for a message about what we are doing to the planet. It isn't bitter, callous or harsh in its encounter with the destruction we are causing; rather than telling us what is happening, it SHOWS the damage that can happen without intent and how a beautiful world and people's lives can be hurt. I read this for the first time almost 10 years ago, and the story and the message are still with me.

I truly love this book. It was one of those books that held my interest the whole way through and was definitely worth the time. This story includes fantasy, adventure, a bit of romance, and a whole new way to look at mermaids. I really recommend it to anyone who loves reading!