*The Young Have Secrets by James Courage (Jonathan Cape, 1954)

 

This book, set in New Zealand, is about a young boy, Walter, who has been sent by his wealthy parents, who own a sheep "station" to Christchurch to attend a small private school and board with the family of the headmaster.  This man, Mr. Garnett, has three daughters and one son, and a curmudgeonly and hypochondriacal wife.  One of the daughters is married to an architect from Scotland, who secretly loves another of the daughters, and is secretly loved by the third daughter.  The (gay?) son is a lighthouse keeper; he comes for a visit but isn't integral to the story.  The young Walter becomes embroiled in the sisters' complex and ultimately tragic menage by becoming a confidant to all three them, who find him a sympathetic listener and are emboldened by his innocence to share secrets.

So this is a book about the loss of innocence, and despite the vividly rendered settings and characters, it feels somewhat formulaic and familiar.  A subplot involves Walter's friend, Jimmy Nelson, whose mother is a goodnatured and gossipy washerwoman and whose father is a Maori who raped Mrs. Nelson (although she claims she enjoyed it).  

James Courage is an excellent writer; he creates a believable and engaging world with sympathetic, distinct characters.  Although there are some lovely moments and scenes in the book, the familiarity of the plot and the rather oblique ending (Walter placidly returns  to his parents' house) prevent it from distinguishing itself in a memorable way.