Dodie Smith: I Capture the Castle

This delightful account of the eccentric Mortmain family was first published in 1949 and it retains its madcap charm today.

Seventeen-year-old Cassandra Mortmain is the narrator and the novel takes the form of her journal. Sensible beyond her years, Cassandra spends much of her time trying to keep her wayward family under control.

Her author father has been suffering from writer's block, and her young stepmother is an artist's model.

Older sister Rose is vain and younger brother Thomas is still at school. The family is desperate for money and it is decided that Rose should marry. I Capture the Castle is both funny and moving, as Cassandra is such an endearing heroine.

Publisher: Random

Price: $19.99

Age: 14-plus

Recommended by: Dorothy Vinicombe