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Lalla, a spoiled rich orphan who's an ice skating prodigy with a stage aunt from hell befriends Harriet, a poor girl who's allowed on the rink as a charity case because her doctor suggested skating as physical therapy after a long illness left her wobbly and weak. Over the course of the book, their lives begin to merge and their roles slowly reverse.
This is one of my favorites of Streatfeild's books that I've read so far, with the other being The Painted Garden aka Movie Shoes. The financial mess Harriet's family's in-- their general store is entirely stocked with whatever random and ill-chosen food is grown, hunted, or collected by a uncle who eats the best of what he gets and sends them the remainders-- is both awful and hilarious, and Harriet's parents and siblings are distinct and fun characters. But the heart of the story is the difficult friendship between Harriet and Lalla, who genuinely care for each other but have strains put on their friendship by competition and disapproving adults. It's also a great portrayal of the pressure of competitive sports, and the difference between following your personal dreams and having a dream imposed on you by someone else.
Out of print, but worth checking out from the library or doing a search for.
This is one of my favorites of Streatfeild's books that I've read so far, with the other being The Painted Garden aka Movie Shoes. The financial mess Harriet's family's in-- their general store is entirely stocked with whatever random and ill-chosen food is grown, hunted, or collected by a uncle who eats the best of what he gets and sends them the remainders-- is both awful and hilarious, and Harriet's parents and siblings are distinct and fun characters. But the heart of the story is the difficult friendship between Harriet and Lalla, who genuinely care for each other but have strains put on their friendship by competition and disapproving adults. It's also a great portrayal of the pressure of competitive sports, and the difference between following your personal dreams and having a dream imposed on you by someone else.
Out of print, but worth checking out from the library or doing a search for.