View From the 32nd Floor

View From the 32nd Floor by Emma Cameron (Walker Books)
PB RRP $16.95
ISBN 9781922077295
Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

William has a new name every day chosen from his dictionary of names. His day is defined by the name he chooses. From the first moment Rebecca moves into the building opposite his on the 32nd floor, William’s world shifts.  So do the lives of all the tenants in the building, particularly the ones he knows, whom he watches daily through his binoculars.

 William is determined to bring out the isolated and lonely neighbours from their shells into a world of friendship and community. With Rebecca as his ally (she has made away with his heart with her hobbling gait that reminds him of a pony), he moves towards this end gently using his gift of compassion and friendliness.

With the help of their Lists which grow longer each day, can Rebecca and William bring Mrs Stavros out from behind her shadowed curtains, and convince old Mr Crispin to join Tai Chi classes for his health? Can the two youngsters unite the tenants in the biggest get-together ever?

Clever and beautifully constructed, this moving, character driven story has many layers and themes. Emma Cameron is a gifted writer whose first verse novel Cinnamon Rain was an outstanding debut. This is equally as good and will also  remain unforgettable.