The Magician’s Daughter

Abby’s dad is a magician. But when a performance at the local holiday park goes very wrong, he decides to pack it in and get a real job. Abby is devastated because her late mother was a talented magician, and it’s too painful to get rid of any magical props. When she finds an old book in her mother’s things, she knows there’s something strange about it. And when she reads a few words aloud and her rabbit floats in the air, it’s time to talk to Dad. Magic is real!

Together, along with Abby’s best friend Myra and the residents of the local care home (Dad’s new workplace), Abby and her dad plan a summer of three astounding magic shows. Can they dazzle the audiences and give them the gift of believing that anything is possible?

This warm, uplifting novel shines a spotlight on the magic of being part of a community; on practising your talent (Myra is a dab hand at designing clothes), and on standing up to bullies. Abby’s relationship with her father is particularly moving. Written by a Welsh author, set in a seaside town, and beautifully illustrated, this is a rousing call to find magic in the everyday.