Maddy Alone

Blue Door #2

by Pamela Brown

With the rest of the Blue Door company away at drama school, and the their theatre company temporarily closed, the imminent holidays hold no excitement for Maddy Fayne.
But the arrival of a film company in Fenchester, and their unexpected search for a new young leading lady, open up possibilities that Maddy's friends can only dream of.

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Theatre, Classics, Middle Grade, British Literature

126 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1945

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

British writer, actress and television producer.

Reviews

[Rosemary Atwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Maddy Alone’ feels as though the author is edging her way forward after the ebullience and drive of ‘The Swish of the Curtain’ - it also feels slightly autobiographical and real, as though Brown is actually recounting her experiences as a film extra.
Small details continue to delight in this exceptionally fine theatrical series.

[Lady Clementina ffinch-ffarowmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to Steerforth Press/Pushkin Press and NetGalley for a review copy of this book.

Maddy Alone is the second book in Pamela Brown’s Blue Door series. Find my review of book 1, The Swish of the Curtain, here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) This one was first published in 1945 (the author must have been just out of her teens at this point), and is being brought out again by Pushkin Press. In the first book, seven children, Sandra, Nigel, Jeremy, Bulldog, Lyn, Vickie and Maddie set up their own theatre company in Fenchester, where they live—they put up shows (from Shakespeare to their own plays) during the holidays and for different occasions, and finally manage to convince their parents to send them to drama school. In Maddy Alone, all the children have gone to drama school except Maddy who is now twelve but still too young to join them. Working (not very hard) at school, she feels it is unfair that they get to go to study drama while she has to study arithmetic (or in her words, or something like them, about Mr. A, Mr. B and Mr. C, who dig wells). She is excited when the holidays approach for all the others will be back and they can put on a show but it turns out that only Sandra is coming home while the rest are to stay back in London where they are needed for a show. This naturally disappoints her some more, especially since even Sandra when she’s there is more interested in going shopping with their mother. But some excitement is in store for Maddy when a film crew comes into Fenchester to shoot a historical film, and Maddy finds herself the leading lady! Maddy becomes a film star alright but also remains Maddy, able at most times to get her own way, and to get people to do what she wants, and up to plenty of mischief in the process.

This was a really quick read, much shorter than the first book but still very good fun. This time, as I already wrote, the story pretty much focuses on Maddy. One can relate to her feeling of being left out of things (of all the excitement, so to speak) because of her age, and her inability to understand/accept that the others had also got to go to school as well, but at times, at least initially, she did also come across as a tad more childish than I liked. But as things move along, and she gets her big opportunity, I also found myself appreciating how she did stay grounded and normal despite all the attention that was coming her way, and the possibility of fame—she is excited by things that are happening and not so very interested in regular school life, but doesn’t acquire airs or always want to dress up or play film star. In fact, quite the opposite, she is the characteristic Maddy “bullying” if I can call it that more than one person (including a gruffy old peer) to get what she wants, questioning things that are not to her liking (even if to means giving up the opportunities she has), and worried about letting the other Blue Doors down if she doesn’t do well enough. She learns a thing or two in the process but essentially remains the same mischievous girl. It was good fun reading of her adventures and antics (which at one point reminded me of the Family at One End Street), and of Mrs Potter-Smith making a nuisance of herself as always, and I can’t wait to pick up the next one and see what the children get up to next.

Pamela Brown, who started this series when she was just in her teens (13 according to Wikipedia; the first book was published when she was 16), was a writer, actress and television producer, and like the children in the books put on plays with her friends when a child.

The book comes out on 14 May 2019.

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful, old-fashioned read! Maddy is without her beloved Blue Door compatriots and discovers great adventure on her own. Her indefatigable spirit makes quite an impact on a historical film. The film's cast, director and crew are all changed for the better. The director's Dutch accent reminded me of older Dutch immigrants I knew growing up. It was a treat to get to know Maddy better and to see how supportive Sandra was as well as the rest of the Blue Door gang. We also see that Maddy must deal with the consequences of her own impulses from time to time. Looking forward to Blue Door #3!

A big thank you to Pushkin and Edelweiss for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Swati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pushkin Press is one of my favourite publishers, as regular readers of my reviews know. Thanks to them I have read such gems like Letter for the King by Tongke Dragt, and The Beggar and Other Stories by Gaito Gazdanov. So, I was delighted when they kindly sent me the children’s classic Maddy Alone by Pamela Brown for a review.

Maddy Alone is the second book in The Blue Door series and the sequel to The Swish of the Curtain, which was immensely popular and has even been made into a television series. Although a sequel, Maddy Alone is fairly easy to read as a standalone novel.

The book at hand begins with the 12-year-old Maddy moping because she has learnt that her friends from the Blue Door Theater Company are busy in London with drama school and wouldn’t be able to return home for the upcoming summer holidays. Maddy sulks because not only is she left behind but she also has to work on her mathematics. But she happens to meet Rodney, an older boy, who is a musician on the sets of a new film being shot in her village Fenchester. Rodney takes her to the set, and from there the story begins to turn in Maddy’s favour.

Pamela Brown was a teenager when she wrote the Blue Door series, and perhaps that’s why the language echoes teenage angst most authentically. Maddy’s moods, her tantrums, and her perpetual hunger for sticky buns are all pitch perfect. But this book is not all about teenage whimsy. There are some slightly thoughtful passages that I particularly enjoyed like Maddy’s conversation with the bishop in the beginning.

“Sandra’s written and told me about what they are doing. They have dancing and fencing and voice production – absolutely everything they’ve always wanted to learn.”

“But don’t you see,” put the bishop, “they’ve had to wait for all the things they’ve got, just as you are waiting.”

Maddy might seem wilful, headstrong, and even annoying at times but we have to read it from a child’s perspective, shedding the heightened awareness that we have right now as adults. Take a Benjamin Button-like ride back to childhood and that’s when we really begin to savour the book.

Above all, I relished the little details that are singular to Britain in the 1940s. The dresses, the hats, the language, and even some of the objects (a radiogram!) carry the joy of nostalgia, and is a delight to read about. I cannot wait to read The Swish of the Curtain, and the next two books in the series. Thank you again to Pushkin Press!

[Evelina | AvalinahsBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, how I loved Maddy Alone! Those who read my first review of this series for The Swish of the Curtain, might remember that I said that the author must have plans for Maddy. Did she ever! This book is ALL about Maddy – just as the title suggests – and it's all very exciting. What a whirlwind! You might remember, if you read that review, how disappointed I was for Maddy's sake at all the characters clearly undervaluing her and her talent in book one. I had high hopes for Maddy's character arc. And the author did not disappoint! As I predicted, the second Blue Doors book is strictly about Maddy, and does she ever make a splash!

Go Maddy. You go girl!



Read my full review here:



I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest opinion. Receiving the book for free does not affect my opinion.

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[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sequel to The Swish of the Curtain, in which Maddy, the youngest of the Blue Door Theatre Company, is chosen to star in a film. It's cute but slight, and I missed the other young people, as the interplay between them was a large part of what made The Swish of the Curtain enjoyable. Plus, the idea of a whole film being rewritten and recast because of a -- gasp! -- historical inaccuracy made me larf and larf.

[Shauna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maddy was my least favourite character from the previous book. In this instalment all of the others have gone to study drama in London. Left to her own devices, Maddy manages to land the lead role in an historical film of a local heroine.
I think the author means for us, the readers, to find Maddy charming and irresistible but I just find her to be bratty and irritating. She needs the other teenage characters to balance her but apart from a few fleeting appearances of Sandra she is indeed Maddy Alone.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very much a second novel. We have to wait for #3 before we can find out what drama school is like. Instead, we are "treated" to Maddy's resentment at being left behind and then her breakin' into pictures.

Like you do.

Having re-read The Swish of the Curtain just before this one, I was surprised to realise just how much influence the local Anglican bishop had on small-town life. He gets to decide who uses the theatre space, a word from him silences parental objections to just about anything, he's allowed to take kids off for the day or overnight...wow. People bow and scrape and say "Yes my lord" and that's it.

Unfortunately Maddy was never a very sympathetic character to me. She felt very added-on to volume 1 and now suddenly she is little Miss Sweetness and Light who shakes her golden hair and smiles and gets what she wants. When she actually gets it, the adults realise she was right all along. Very much wish-fulfilment, I'm thinking.

On to Book 3.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was absolutely thrilled to see the "Swish of the Curtain" books back in print, and I loved reading about the further adventures of Maddy in this one. I missed the rest of the Blue Doors (who have all gone to theatre school, leaving Maddy alone in Fenchester, and understandably bored and frustrated), but Maddy is such a quirky and funny character that she almost makes up for the loss of the rest of the group. The reappearance of the Bishop and Mrs Potter-Smith added to the fun, and on the whole this is a lovely sequel to one of my favourite books.

[Catherine Mason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as The Swish of the Curtain, the first in the series., less characterisation and adventures and less believable. Seemed to me as if the author was in a bit of a hurry to get this one written. Still entertaining acting fantasy.

[Lucy_k_p · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the second in a series. The first book, 'The Swish of the Curtain', was one I really loved as a kid. It's about a group of children who start up their own theatre. I didn't find out until recently that Brown write it when she was 14. Even rereading it as an adult, I think the only way it shows is in the characters behaving believably and age appropriately. After reading 'The Swish of the Curtain' I desperately wanted to read the next book, but I was told that none of the rest had been reprinted (they were originally written in the 1940s) so every time I was in an antique book store I had a look for them. And then a few years ago the rest of the series began to be reprinted and I made a note to buy 'Maddy Alone' as soon as I got the chance.

In 'Maddy Alone' Maddy Fayne is looking forward to the rest of the Blue Doors coming home from theatre school for the holidays so they can put on a play together. Then she receives a letter saying only her sister Sandra is coming home, the rest of the group are taking part in a performance at the school (and Sandra would have stayed to be in it too, if her part hadn't been cut). She gets very upset, throws a tantrum, refuses to go to school and locks herself in her room. Her mother doesn't know what to do, until she meets the Bishop (an old friend of the children, he's the one who convinced their parents they should be allowed to go to drama school) while shopping and asks for his help. The bishop takes Maddy for a walk and gives her some sensible advice. He also tells her the story of Elizabeth of Fennymead, a local historical figure, who he has an interest in and has just discovered, through some old papers, was only 12 years old.

A few weeks later a film company comes to Fenchester to do a film about Elizabeth. Maddy is very interested and heads to the set to take a look. To her disgust the lead role is being played by Felicity Warren, who is 20. Maddy announces loudly 'Does he know she's only 12 years old?' There is an uproar as the director, Van Velden, who is a stickler for historical accuracy, stops production and demands the film be rewritten, while Felicity also insists she's too old to play a child. The film is duly rewritten but the director is having trouble casting the part of Elizabeth. All of the child actors he is sent details of seem fake and simpering. Then the image of Maddy pops into his mind...

I had fun reading this book, partly based on nostalgia for 'The Swish of the Curtain', which I reread a few months ago in preparation for this book, but it is an entertaining story in its own right. I did miss the rest of the Blue Doors. Maddy was always my favourite, but the group interaction was what made The Swish of the Curtain so compelling. Also I preferred the theatre as a setting. As well as loving theatre and finding it more entertaining to read about, I know what the backstage of a small, amateur theatre production is like and those descriptions in 'The Swish of the Curtain' rang true. I doubt that films are produced in the same way as described in 'Maddy Alone'.

There is a scene in this book which I recognised immediately as it goes thusly: Maddy needs to convince a rich man to allow filming in his castle. On her way to visit him she encounters a man working in the garden. He asks her errand and she tells him, managing to insult the Lord of the Manor in her explanation. She ends up not being able to see Lord Moulcester, but later that day word comes that he will allow filming in the castle after all. But Maddy gets quite a shock when she meets him, as it turns out he was the man she took for a gardener! I've seen this happen dozens of times, in countless children's books. As soon as Maddy spoke to the gardener I knew what was going on. And I loved it. Every time it happens I feel pure glee at knowing how things are going to turn out.

I also really liked that Maddy's tantrum, which in many other books would have led to her 'learning a valuable lesson' and promising never to do it again, led to a net positive effect. And even before the best parts become apparent, and she's feeling a little silly and ashamed for making such a huge fuss, she still reflects that at least she had missed arithmetic. It's also a nice link back to the first book where another piece of bad behaviour by Maddy (throwing a stone at someone who insulted her and breaking a window) lead to a good end result (finding a building to use as their theatre).

While a lot of the book feels very timeless there are a few moments where its age shows. One thing that was very out of place, both in this book and the previous one, is how much trust is placed in the Bishop. In this book he takes Maddy for a walk and then a meal. In 'The Swish of the Curtain' he takes the entire group on an overnight trip to Stratford-on-Avon, with no other adults around. I can't see that happening today. Also the idea of extras forming a union in order to demand equal pay for women was treated as a ridiculous concept, and the problem was easily solved by firing everyone and then rehiring them. They were so glad to get their jobs back they stopped complaining! It was brought up so briefly and dismissively it seemed completely out of place, and was horribly insulting to anyone who does think equal pay for women is a good idea besides.

Also unrealistic was the idea of rewriting film already in the late stages of production because of historical inaccuracies. This book in general felt less 'possible' than the last book. I can almost believe a group of very dedicated young teens could set up their own theatre, with minimal adult assistance (after all, I can believe September circumnavigated Fairyland in a ship of her own making), as the end result was of an appropriate scale and was backed by the hard work you saw them put into it. Nothing seemed impossible or unlikely, except them sticking with the work. (When I was young, every few months me and the rest of the kids in our street used to try to put on a 'stunt circus' on our roller skates and bikes, but every time arguments and boredom would derail our efforts after a few days.) This book felt much more like straight-up wish fulfilment, without much consideration for what would seem likely.

I was glad to see Mrs Potter-Smith, head of the local Ladies' Institute, return as the closest thing the book gets to a villain. Mrs Smither-Pot, as Maddy calls her, manages to cause an enormous amount of trouble with the deliberate and judicious use of gossip. Annoyed at being denied a starring role, her part as an extra taken away because she is disruptive, she makes trouble for Maddy by mentioning to Maddy's teacher how people are saying it is shameful that Maddy is missing so much school and getting so big-headed. She's such a realistic antagonist, with comprehensible motives and simplistic but effective methods.

Something that makes 'Maddy Alone' stand out from a lot of old children's books is the lack of message. The book is not at all preachy, no one improves themself, and Maddy, while a generally decent person, is no little angel. She feels like a real girl, sometimes naughty and occasionally not sorry for it. It made her much more relatable than the characters who constantly talk about the importance of honour, honesty and keeping their word. Maddy is willing to tell corking great lies and have fun doing it, and more often than not it has precisely the effect she desires.

I didn't like 'Maddy Alone' as much as 'The Swish of the Curtain', but I still enjoyed it a great deal. As a book for children, I think those who want to be actors or movie stars will love it. I am looking forward to the time when I can get my hands on 'Golden Pavements', the next book in the series.

[Anjana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading The Swish of the Curtain (Blue Door #1) by Pamela Brown when I was younger and the British Council library was a place I frequented. I never knew then, that there was still more to the tale of those kids. Their future is part of more books and I jumped at the chance of reading them.
Initially, I planned to work my way through them all and then review them together. This novella, however, is Maddy's story and hers alone so it does not hurt to reserve a separate post for her. If you check out my review of the previous book, you will know that we were introduced to a whole gaggle of kids who conveniently had different skills and could contribute to a theatre troupe. In this installment, we learn what happens to Maddy when all the elder kids are off studying in the Dramatics school in London.  This length was perfect to enjoy the laidback story set in a different time and age, where different social norms ruled the lives of many. Maddy is chafing at being left behind and while she wallows in self-pity she ends up making a new friend who inadvertently leads her into having a very big adventure! There are fewer mentions of her being 'fat' in this one (she is a child!) but I am guessing the author must have been treated to or seen a version of this behaviour since she herself was a teenager at the time of writing these.

I liked it better than the first book in some ways because a lot happens, but it is easier to follow and easier to invest your emotions.

I received this as an ARC copy thanks to the publishers and Edelwiess+ but the review is completely my own opinion.

[The Idle Woman]

3.5 stars

At the moment I needed something totally different: something charming, cuddly and heartwarming. With relief, I turned to the second book in Pamela Brown’s Blue Door series (the first was The Swish of the Curtain, which I reviewed some time ago), telling the story of a band of ambitious children who set up a theatre company in their small town of Fenchester. In this sequel, the older children have achieved their dreams and are now studying at stage school in London, but poor Maddy, the youngest, is only twelve years old and has been told she needs to stick with ordinary school for the time being. Pushed to her limits by the thought of all the fun the others are having, Maddy begins acting up; but soon she discovers a marvellous opportunity right on her doorstep, which will change her life once and for all...

For the full review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2019/08/09/m...

[Catriona]

I have loved the swish of the curtain for years and have struggled to find the sequels and I was pleased to find they have finally republished in kindle form.

Maddy is the brattiest of the Blue Doors group but things seem to go her way and she ends up starring in a film though she is rude and stubborn.

I love reading about this period of acting as they talk about it being daring for women to be wearing slacks and working in rep theatres.

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maddy is left behind in Fenchester while the other all are at drama school in London. And when only her sister Sandra comes home for the holidays she becomes extremely fed up. A couple of chance meetings lead to an unexpected opportunity — the chance to act in a movie! Maddie makes the most of it, but not before encountering a number of obstacles. Very fast-paced. Enjoyable. Recommended.

[Dora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in one sitting, how could i not? The blue door theatre series is my favourite series of all time and although maddy alone isn't my favourite book in it so far, it is a charming , hilarious, page turning, sweet story that spoke to my soul and my love of acting. Im so jealous of maddyyy!

[Kate Keaveny · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the series about acting and the theatre. Maddie is feeling lonely and frustrated. She wants to be on stage with others.
Maddie finds her way onto the set of a film and charms the crew.
These books seem a little dated now but are still enjoyable.

[Sonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most amazing book ever.I don't care what everyone says this is a must read.don't read the bad reviews,they are bad critics.great and I loved it

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in the Blue Door series, it's quite a bit shorter than the first and 3rd books but is still very amusing and worth a read.

[Craftyhj · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am continuing my trip down memory lane with this sequel to Swish of the Curtain. In Maddy Alone, as the title implies, Maddy is feeling left behind as the older members of the Blue Doors have gone off to drama school. In typical Maddy style she “befriends” a young man and finds herself caught up in the film industry.

This one was not as much fun as the first but I enjoyed it and will continue on with the series.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun second entry in the Blue Door series, in which Maddy stumbles into starring in a motion picture that's being shot locally. This is a short, quick read. It actually feels a bit rushed... but then, that echoes Maddy's pell-mell character well. Also, it feels like a brief narrative bridge to when Maddy is able to join the others in drama school. But it's still enjoyable, filled with adventures and mostly kind and helpful adults.

[Phoebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really gave Maddy the spotlight. I love how Maddy managed to find her own way without the other Blue Door Company, and I found myself getting a bit jealous of her luck. I love how at the end Maddy gets to go to the Dramatic School with the others and follow her dream with the others!!❤️