Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms by Katherine Rundell
Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms by Katherine Rundell is a wonderful story about Wilhelmina Silver who has grown up in the bliss, bounty, and adventure of Africa, but after a sad turn of events must now learn to survive in a London boarding school. Rundell does a wonderful job spending the first 70 pages of the novel building out Wilhelmina’s world and back story in Africa. The reader is truly immersed in the beauty of her world and all that makes up Wilhelmina and her strong bond with Simon, her father, and Captain Browne.
Wilhelmina’s (also known as Will) father, William Silver, was a manager of Captain Browne’s farm. Will’s mother died when she was five from Malaria, and since then, Will has pretty much been a wild beauty about the land. Without a feminine influence for herself or the household, Will is considered wild as she runs about with Simon and the other young farm hands. However, Will is full of life and wonder as she truly appreciates the beauty of nature and all that it has to offer. Unfortunately, Will’s father, William, also becomes ill. Cynthia Vincy comes to care for him but tending to his needs is not really her priority. She is really desiring to capture Captain Browne’s heart due to the potential wealth of the farm. Through a sad turn of events, Will’s father dies, Cynthia manages to marry Captain Browne and forces Will out of the farm and to a boarding school for girls in London.
Captain Browne is heartbroken by the decision to send Will away and only comes to accept the decision after Cynthia threatens to leave him if he will not. Cynthia also has put the farm up for sale and by a retributive form of justice at the end, the reader learns that Captain Browne has sold it to the farm hands for much less than it was worth.
Once at the boarding school, Will is bullied almost mercilessly by Samantha and Louisa. She is called many names such as savage and midget. It isn’t long until Will decides to run away, especially after one evening when the girls force her - clothes and all - into a cold water bath. In the midst of winter, Will puts on her original clothes - shorts, cardigan, boots - and leaves out the window. She then spends several adventurous nights on the London streets before a young boy, Daniel, and his grandmother give her the proper care she needs.
In the end, she does return to the boarding school with the determination to learn how to “Cartwheel in Thunderstorms” and with the promised visits from Daniel and his grandmother. To Will’s surprise, she is swept up by the headmistress who does care for her and shortly a friendship with two twins does begin to emerge. Even Samantha apologizes for her previous behavior.
In all the story ends on a hopeful note about courage, bravery, and using the struggles in life to build perseverance and endurance.
Noteworthy quotes/ mentions:
Simon is Will’s best friend. The novel does mention that they “fell in sort-of-love by the time they were seven, and by the time their ages were double digits, they were friends of the firmest, stickiest, and eternal sort” (5). The end of the novel ends with their hopeful reunion one day in the future.
The word “dammit” is used a few times in the novel, but it is used in a phrase “false as ‘dammit’” - page 43, 72, 93, and 109.
“‘Oh, for Christ’s sake!’” appears on page 48.
On page 61, Will prays for God’s help when her father is deathly ill.
One of the last things Will’s father says to her is “‘And be good, my girl. Always goodness. Be brave. Be happy, okay? Courage, chook, ja?’” (63).
On the streets of London, Will is considering her options. “She could steal–from people or, better, from shops. She imagined she’d be good at it. But that wasn’t courage. Stealing, her father had said, was for people with tin hearts and snotty souls” (181).
Daniel’s grandmother tells Will, “‘It is real life that takes the real courage, little wildcat. School is very difficult. But that’s because it takes toughness and patience. It’s what life is, my love. Although life is very beautiful, it is also very difficult’” (231).
When Samantha approaches Will to apologize, part of her doesn’t want to accept it. “Part of her would have liked to have spat. But carrying resentment, Will told herself, would be like carrying a pocket full of broken glass” (236).
Overall, I enjoyed the story, and it has good themes about the beauty of the world, but also the need for patience and perseverance in the face of hardships. Furthermore, if we are willing to look, friendship can grow from unlikely places.
