A Mouth Organ for Angels

Donalee Moulton-Barrett was a writer and editor in Halifax.

A Mouth Organ for Angels is a fantasy that takes us into the imagination of one little girl, Madeline. Robert Gibbs writes with seeming ease and we are carried along by the plot (Madeline trying to escape from her great-aunts and to find her way back to her home in Weaver’s Landing) and the often believable eccentricity of all the characters.

The fantasy is at times frightening, at times funny, sometimes touching but primarily entertaining. It does not, however, compare to the quality of Alice in Wonderland or Huckleberry Finn, as the back cover blurb and certain scenes in the book would lead us to believe.

The two main problems with the book are the number of different characters and a plot that is quite often predictable and plodding. Characters are introduced very quickly and many only for a short period of time. It’s difficult to remember who they are when they’re finally brought back into the picture. This is especially true if the book is not read in one sitting. The plot, on the other hand, lacks much of the vividness of the characters. All too frequently the reader can see what’s coming long before it happens and this only slows the action down.

Still, A Mouth Organ for Angels is entertaining. It is not a masterpiece and it could be improved, but the book remains enjoyable, readable, and recommendable.