Tumbleglass
Author: Kate Constable
Release Date: 31 January, 2023
RRP: $17.99 (PB)
Publisher: Allen & Unwin Children’s
Synopsis: Thirteen-year-old Rowan is helping her older sister Ash paint her bedroom when she discovers a mysterious ring that transports them both back in time to 1999. To a party being held in the very same house!
While Ash dances, Rowan unwittingly disrupts the laws of time, and when she wakes up back in the present day, her sister is missing, and – even worse – everyone in their family seems to be forgetting she ever existed.
With the help of her magical neighbour Verity, Rowan must find the courage to travel back through the history of the house. But can she find everything she needs to rescue Ash before her sister disappears forever?
Review: Tumbleglass is a timeslip story about two sisters who are separated after they accidentally fall through a crack in time. Younger sister, Rowan, returns to the future without older sister, Ash, after she inadvertently changes the past. In order to bring her sister back, she and her magical neighbour, Verity, concoct a plan to bring her back, while the memory of Ash in the present day begins to fade. Retrieving objects through several time periods, Rowan experiences pivotal points of Australian history, including the Aboriginal Land Rights protests & World War II. Her relationship with her family is tested as secrets about her mother and missing sister emerge, and she amusingly involves herself with her grumpy neighbour’s familial dilemma.
The characterisation of Rowan is a highlight of the book. The closeness of Rowan and Ash are evoked through catty, yet loveable, sisterly banter. The complex feelings caused by Rowan’s unintentional involvement in her sister’s disappearance and unexpected family secrets coming to light combined with the revelation of her house being the site of a timeslip perfectly encapsulates the coming-of-age themes that unmoor Rowan from her reality in a poignant way.
Setting is very strong – the vivid description in the historical settings renders them more believable, and forces Rowan to confront the social conventions of the era. The ending comes together in a way that feels a little contrived, but open-ended enough to explore further adventures in the same world. While Tumbleglass is certainly middle-grade, I’d consider it to sit firmly in the older readers camp (specifically for those transitioning between primary and high school) comparatively similar to A Walk in the Dark by Jane Godwin.
Recommended Age: Ages 11+, due to some swearing and some slightly older themes around family relationships.
Themes: Family, family secrets, sibling relationships, time travel.
Highlights: The opening scene banter with Rowan and Ash painting her bedroom sets the sibling relationship very well.
Rating: ★★★
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