MING AND FLO FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE BY JACKIE FRENCH

Ming and Flo Fight for the Future is the first in a new series called Girls Who Changed the World, by award winning author Jackie French. The story opens with Ming Qong sitting in a history lesson wondering if there had ever been a girl who changed the world. There were plenty of stories about men, but she couldn’t think of a girl who played an important role at any time.

When the class quietens Ming realises there is someone else in the room. A woman in purple with a mauve umbrella is sitting on the windowsill. She is “Herstory” the sister of “History” and she is there to help Ming travel into the past to witness a girl changing the world. Ming argues that she wants to be a girl in the past and steals more “time drops” before Herstory can stop her.

Ming is drawn into Australia in 1898. She becomes Florence, the daughter of a Chinese woman and an absent, drunken, British shearer. Her circumstances become dire and she is rescued by an aunt who lives in Sydney. There, Ming becomes part of the movement to petition for another referendum that will unite all the colonies and create the Australia we know it today. She also meets Henry Lawson’s mother who played a huge role in the Suffragette Movement.

Jackie French’s novel delves into Australia’s past. It highlights the poverty and hardship suffered by rural communities and the inequality of life in the city, particularly for women and children. The descriptions of places and different lifestyles from this Victorian era are fascinating and detailed. We see all this through Ming’s eyes and readers will be able to join her in this adventure. The idea of making a difference no matter how small is seems, is an underlying theme. Small acts can have huge consequences as Ming finds out. Readers are left with a surprising cliff-hanger at the end of the story and will definitely want to read the next instalment.

For Ages: 10+ years

Number of Pages: 269

Published: March 2022

Themes: resilience, fighting for beliefs and how a small act may change the world.

 Rating 4/5