The True Story of Lilli Stubeck

by James Aldridge

Living in squalor in an abandoned shack with her large family, one day Lilli is taken in by a wealthy old woman who helps to civilise her. But there's an ongoing battle between Lilli and Miss Dalgleish, seemingly for possession of Lilli's very soul.Ahead of its time in its subtle and clever use of narrative techniques, The True Story of Lilli Stubeck acknowledges that no true story can ever be one-sided. Narrator Kit's multi-layered account of Lilli Stubeck's story is informed by Kit and others' recollections, town gossip and an important little black book.

Genres: Fiction, Australia, Historical Fiction

182 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

From Wikipedia: Harold Edward James Aldridge is a multi-award winning Australian author and journalist whose World War II despatches were published worldwide and formed the basis of several of his novels, including the prize-winning The Sea Eagle about Australian troops in Crete.

Aldridge was born in White Hills, a suburb of Bendigo, Victoria. By the mid 1920s the Aldridge family had moved to Swan Hill, and many of his Australian stories are based on his life growing up there. Aldridge moved to London in 1938; he currently lives in Battersea, South West London.

The stories that are based on the real living conditions of his hometown of Swan Hill include his 1995 Children's Book Council of Australia book of the year "The True Story of Lilli Stubeck", one of his St Helen series of children's books. He lived in Cairo for many years, writing several books about the Middle East, including "Cairo - Biography of a City" and the novels "The Diplomat" and "Heroes of the Empty View". His 1973 children's novel "A Sporting Proposition" was adapted for the 1975 Disney film "Ride a Wild Pony".

Reviews

[Mallee Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this heart wrenching story for young adults seen through the eyes of a boy living in small town Australia.

[George Kirrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was the first novel I read when I was 6. I read it again many times and remember it very well until now - I have a special attachment to it. It's just charming in the way I can't describe or persuade anyone to read it. It's just the first love thing - I guess.

= Spoiler =

As a kid, I felt I can associate with Lilli and how stubborn she was - me too hahaha. She is brave and I admired her for that. With Kit - I thought there would be something romantic about it hahaha, but nope - none. Well, the writer said it is a true story after all, so I guess life is like that.

= End of spoiler =

Interesting thing about this, this book "won the Australian Children’s Book Council’s Book of the Year Award for 1985. The selection was a controversial one. Laura Harman reported in the editorial of Reading Time, the Council’s journal, that ‘Many people claim it is not a children’s book and doesn’t belong in the Children’s Book Council’s Awards at all’ " - If you asked me, who read this as a 6-year-old kid, if I would consider it as a children book - I would said yes, cause I enjoyed it as much as other children books I read. But I have to admit that it was way much different from the others. This one is more REAL. And I believe now that children deserve to know what's real instead of the distorted funny, fantasy, finished with happy ending story that adult try to tell us. Those kind of stories are much enjoyable, I know. This one was not my favourite, it's true. But it is certainly much more enjoyable than Little House in the Big Woods (Which I didn't feel related to ANY of the characters - sorry to say, it's just my personal opinion) if you count that one in children books, please count this one in too. Thanks.

[Nina Braden · Rating 5 out of 5]

1984. Australia. P. JF.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

During the holidays, I've finished reading The True Story Of Lilli Stubeck. This book was an really interesting book full of laughter, anxiety, sadness, and scariness. This book can tell us a lot of things, a book to me that I would never put down if I had to. Some of the parts were confusing though, for example some of the words that were used, it was long and complicated and probably not for my age yet. This book had taught me a few grammatical structures, also some letter structures. This book was an 2nd person story, not a first person, so most of the things were past tensed, which won't really help with my essay structures.

What I liked about this book was all of the mysterious and loving acts in it. It was surprising how a well educated and rich old woman would want to accept a filthy girl, who has no table manners at all to help her around the house. There was a strong contrast between the relationship, which still powered at the end. Throughout the whole way, the book talking about their relationship, and how it endures as it goes on.

My favorite part of this book is when the characters in the book was desperately trying to teach Lilli some table manners. It was really funny because Lilli didn't know how to do anything, and kept on whispering to her friend on what should she do, also how she ate in a really bad manner. But as she got to Miss Dalgleish's place, she would follow all the table manners that Miss Dalgledish had told her to do.

A truly amazing story how an old women will have an unmannered girl run errands for her, let her in her own house, and also making sure she does the correct things both in the morning at night. A true friendship develops between them. A book which will teach you a lot of things in life, and how one young girl will change.


During this book what I noticed is all it's about is mostly: racism, poverty, and person to person friendships. This is the main points in life to us. This was an really enjoyable book.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Роман, который вызывает противоречивые чувства. С одной стороны, перед нами история о свободной духом, несгибаемой девочке, которая остаётся верной себе. С другой стороны, смотрим мы на эту девочку глазами рассказчика, находимся в пространстве его субъективного восприятия событий. Искажений и ложных воспоминаний в таком случае не избежать, поэтому возникает вопрос: а кто вообще такая Лилли Стьюбек? Автор и сам задаётся тем же вопросом и пытается разгадать природу поступков и решений своей подруги.

Есть в романе и третья сторона — сложные и запутанные отношения Лилли сначала с её семейством, а затем и властной покровительницей. В рамках этого пласта повествования искренне сочувствуешь и сопереживаешь героине, так как её детство и отрочество обременены тяготами, голодом и отчуждённостью. Неблагополучные родители используют детей и обращаются с ними дурно, но и влиятельная дама из особняка на окраине, после того как взяла опекунство над Лилли, скорее муштрует её и стремится слепить из девочки куколку, нежели дарит ей любовь и заботу.

Формально может казаться иначе: в новом доме Лилли получает дорогие наряды, качественную еду в достатке, образование, библиотеку и обучается правилам этикета. Но саму Лилли никто не спросил — нужно ли ей это всё, хочет ли она что-то из предложенного. За неё снова всё решает кто-то: сперва это были родители, которые помыкали ей, а затем и опекунша, которая то ли хотела застолбить себе место в Раю таким жестом [спасла девочку из токсичной среды], то ли хотела реализовать через Лилли какие-то свои несбывшиеся мечты и цели.

Результат оказался предсказуемым — и кормящую руку всё-таки укусили в итоге. Причинение добра Лилли выходит знатной даме боком и я не вижу в этом неблагодарности или чёрствости со стороны девочки, но банальную закономерность. Автор предполагает, что между покровительницей и Лилли могла быть какая-то особая связь и даже привязанность, вот только мне кажется, что главная героиня скорее руководствовалась чувством долга. А это совсем не то же самое, что "любовь".

[Clare Snow · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a child, I ended up with two copies of this book because my dad never remembered which books he gave me as presents.

As an adult, I only have one copy on my bookshelf, but I never remember reading it. After reading the blurb, I thought I better get onto it. For some reason I thought unreliable narration was involved.

Um, no, narration to send the reader to sleep was the order of the day. This was an award winning children's book in the 198os. How did any child become a bookworm last century, with drivel like this? I assume I never read it back then, because I would never have wanted to read another book after.

I kept waiting for something to happen, but they just went for another swim in the river, or listened to another gramophone record, or ripped their leg open on barbed wire and let it get septic. And if that sounds exciting, it wasn't.

It's a book about children, but it's not written for children. Give me Ruth Park any day.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed thie book, especially the main character, Lillis perspective on life. She is a dedicated young female caring for a family who abandoned her and an old lady who gave her a future. When Lilli struggles herself, her courageous attitude sees her survive all odds. Her 'i dont care about what other people think of me' attitude made the book fun and easy to read. Townspeople judge her so easily, when underneath her ragged clothes, she is an angel. This story inspired me to only care about what I think about myself, and to also be positive, when times are rough.