In Cook's Cove, a small outport village on the west coast of Newfoundland, summers are short but sweet, and fifteen-year-old Melinda expects this one to be no different. She's looking forward to two idyllic months of garden parties, socials and long talks into the night with her cousins Rebecca and Kate. The cousins have spent summers together ever since they can remember. Rebecca's the goody-goody homemaker. Studious Kate, who lives in the city, is determined not to let a boyfriend get in the way of her plans for the future. Then there's outspoken Melinda, who loves to scandalize the village biddies. The girls are like sisters; they watch out for each other, and nothing can ever come between them. But when a stranger comes to the village and invites Rebecca to go to Boston to develop her artistic talent, the cousins are suddenly exposed to the possibilities of the outside world and the chance to fulfil their latent dreams.
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From Amazon
Mary C. Sheppard's Seven for a Secret is a Newfoundland family saga for young adults--complete with Newfie dialect ("Lord jumpin' dyin'"), tragedy at sea, and plenty of skeletons in the closet. Set in the outport community of Cook's Cove in the summer of 1960, this first novel tells the story of three cousins whose friendship is put to the test by the visit of a mysterious stranger. Sheppard's loquacious narrator, Melinda, is a smart, curvaceous 15-year-old who can't wait even another year to marry her fisherman boyfriend. Her cousin Rebecca is a goody two-shoes with movie-star looks and a passion for drawing, while Kate, her intellectual city cousin, is, according to Melinda, as "innocent as a herring heading towards a net."
When these three "maids" start to determine their own destinies, no family secret is safe for long. Witty, irreverent, and often tender, Seven for a Secret offers a compelling glimpse into outport life in an era when the Sears catalogue represented the height of fashion and getting married at 16 was de rigueur for most girls. Carrying the novel is the voice of Melinda--by turns raunchy, frivolous, compassionate, and mature. Although the inconsistent use of local speech patterns makes her voice seem somewhat contrived, Melinda is a sympathetic character whose choices may surprise and intrigue teenage readers. --Lisa Alward --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Gr 9 Up-A small coastal village in Newfoundland is the setting for this story of three cousins. It is 1960, but it seems infinitely earlier in this isolated place that still lacks electricity. Melinda, Rebecca, and Kate are separated by only seven months in age. The summer proves to be pivotal for each of them; they begin to make decisions about their futures as they near their last year of high school. When a road connecting Cook's Cove to the outside world is begun, it also marks the end of an era in the village. Life is at once harsh and joyful. Fishing and working in the fish plant are the main occupations. Many families have lost their men to the sea. One form of entertainment is socializing, church activities, and parties; gossip is another; and romances, too-early pregnancies, and even failure to have your laundry on the line by 9:00 a.m. are fair topics for consideration. Early in the summer a stranger arrives at a garden party and observes Rebecca's talent for drawing. His subsequent invitation to her to come to Boston for an art course becomes the catalyst for the changes that take place. This descriptive story details the love and sense of community that make life in the village less difficult. However, it may need a booktalk to get readers past the dialect.
Sylvia V. Meisner, Greensboro Montessori School, NC
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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When Kate arrived from the city in June it was always my job to yank her off the ferry and get her set to rights the second she crossed the gangplank to the government wharf. Read the first page
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When Kate arrived from the city in June it was always my job to yank her off the ferry and get her set to rights the second she crossed the gangplank to the government wharf. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Katie
Format:Paperback
An easy quick read. If you're looking for a fun book, this is it. Basically it's a story of three cousins who see one another ever summer. It's set in a small town in Newfoundland in the 1960s. It's interesting to read a story set in Newfoundland, the language the characters use is probably one of the best parts of the novel, hilarious! Definatly true Newfies! The novel isn't widely known, but still extremely good. It seems that every time anyone comes to my house and sees it, they ask to borrow it! And everytime, they love it. Honestly, everyone I know who's read it has loved it! I trust that this novel will rely soley on word-of-mouth for sales. Anyway, it's a great read for anyone who likes stories about good friends, good family, and good times!!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Set in a small village on the coast of Newfoundland, Seven For A Secret by Mary C. Sheppard is a highly recommended, "reader friendly" novel of Rebecca and Kate, two fifteen-year-old girls and their confrontation with opposing directional pulls. Invited to develop their artistic talent and explore the world beyond their village borders, Rebecca and Kate are forbidden to go by an uncompromising family member. Also available in paperback..., Seven For A Secret is strong tale of personal will in the making one's own destiny.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.7 out of 5 stars
3 reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Seven For A Secret
Oct 21 2001
By A Customer
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
I really enjoyed most of this book. Melinda, Kate and Rebecca are perfect examples of what good friends and good characters should be.
The part I didn't enjoy was the ending in this book. In the end Melinda gets married and is pregnant (before finishing school), basically ruining any chance she had of becoming something she wanted to do, like become a nurse. The ending was upsetting for me.
The part I didn't enjoy was the ending in this book. In the end Melinda gets married and is pregnant (before finishing school), basically ruining any chance she had of becoming something she wanted to do, like become a nurse. The ending was upsetting for me.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A highly recommended, "reader friendly" novel
Aug 5 2002
By Midwest Book Review
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
Set in a small village on the coast of Newfoundland, Seven For A Secret by Mary C. Sheppard is a highly recommended, "reader friendly" novel of Rebecca and Kate, two fifteen-year-old girls and their confrontation with opposing directional pulls. Invited to develop their artistic talent and explore the world beyond their village borders, Rebecca and Kate are forbidden to go by an uncompromising family member. Also available in paperback..., Seven For A Secret is strong tale of personal will in the making one's own destiny.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
I liked the ending of Seven For A Secret
Nov 2 2001
By A Customer
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
Actually, unlike the reader from Nova Scotia, I really liked the whole book - including the ending. I didn't live in rural Newfoundland in -when was it, the sixties or seventies?-, but it sure rings true to me that lots of girls in that time and place would get pregnant before finishing high school.
To me, that was part of the point. That the choices people make are in large part dictated by their environment........... that when you're young your social circle is accidental, but as you get older you increasingly spend time with people who share your goals and values.......... and that the only people who don't end up following the crowd are those who are both single-minded and lucky.
That said, this isn't a message novel. The author seemed to really like and sympathize with all her characters. And so when I read it, I cared about them all too. And the book was subtle enough that you knew everybody in it would have to make some tough decisions. There are no easy answers, the book said, and I agree.
I thought the book was insightful about girls' lives. It was a great read too - I read it straight through in about 3 hours and enjoyed every page.
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 3 reviews
4.7 out of 5 stars
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