Marilyn Heward Mills

Cloth Girl

Cloth Girl was nominated in the First Novel category of the Costa Book Awards 2007 (formally Whitbread).

When Matilda walked into the yard, she was out of breath and had beads of sweat on her forehead from the game she had been playing with her sisters and friends when the summons interrupted them. Similar to hopscotch, it required lots of jumping and hopping, something Matilda found increasingly difficult. She often forgot she was no longer the beanpole she had once been. She had developed curves and dips all over her body that she had not yet become comfortable with. But today she was winning for a change and it would be irritating if one of the adults sent her on an errand now. Or could it be that she was about to receive a telling off? That was what usually happened when she was summoned in front of all the adults like this. But her mother was smiling and looking pleased with herself. Her father was looking at his shoes intently as though he had suddenly realised they were on his feet.

'Sit down, Matilda.' St John spoke softly.

Matilda was confused.

'Your mother has some good news for you,' St John continued.

Matilda looked at her mother and again at her father. He was still examining his shoes.

'We have some very good news for you. Lawyer wants to marry you,' Ama said joyfully. 'Congratulations, my daughter. We are proud of you.'

– Marilyn Heward Mills' first novel was published in hard cover in June 2006 by Little, Brown and in paperback in October 2007 by Sphere.