Notes

160 p. Geraldine's mother plays the cello in an orchestra, and in pubs to earn extra money. An only child of a single mother, Geraldine is tired of having to fit in with her mother's busy schedule, and she is lonely. At a rehearsal one day, she befriends a musician and discovers a new ambition to be a conductor. The chances of her achieving this seem remote, but a performance of the ballet 'Nutcracker' changes everything, including her mother's attitude to her. New Zealand author.