A Drop of Golden Sun

I remember reading Five Children on the Western Front several years ago, and if I remember right, I enjoyed it. The idea of writing about characters I had encountered in another book was fascinating, and perhaps that was what drew me into the book in the first place.

With A Drop of Golden Sun, I was intrigued by the idea of a book inspired by the making of The Sound of Music, a movie I’ve always loved. While the parallels are clear, author Kate Saunders writes instead about a film called The Music Makers, with the Daudet family at its centre.

In many ways, A Drop of Golden Sun is an old-fashioned story. Slow paced and anecdotal, it immerses us in Jenny’s world, as she and her film siblings navigate through life, the filmmaking world, and a variety of eccentric and sometimes frightening people. I thoroughly enjoyed this story with its multi-faceted characters, and I liked how the narrative unfolds, giving us a glimpse of the lives of child stars who are all set to make history with a brand-new film.

With Jenny, we encounter complex family relationships, fragile egos and unexpected friendships in a sensitively told story. A Drop of Golden Sun doesn’t have the high drama of a thriller or the sense that you’re sitting at the edge of your seat, wondering what will happen next. Instead, it is one of those quiet, gently books that celebrates childhood, with all its joys and uncertainties.