Water Colours — Sarah Walker

If you ran away, you'd show your family that you can't be pushed around,' Merryl challenged me. 'It doesn't have to be forever - just for a few days. But I bet you haven't got the guts to stand up to them.' I knew what she was trying to do. I wanted to resist and be sensible, but part of me was drawn to her logic, and the rest of me was drawn to her rebellious spirit. I thought again of the way Auntie Eddy said Merryl was like my mother. Mum would've run away for sure. When Beatrice is forced to leave her beloved Wilson Park and her offbeat friend, Marty, she sets out to claim her independence. On the way, she discovers the shocking truth about her mother, and learns what friendship and family really mean. Change is hard, but as her Aunty Olivia tells her, sometimes when you lose something, you gain something else.