The Pickle King By Rebecca Promitzer Published by Chicken House ISBN 9781906427016
Eleven-year-old Bea lives in the nothing-ever-happens town of Elbow, where it rains so much that the residents are in danger of developing webbed feet. Elbow is a boring place to grow up, and during the summer holidays, when you might expect a bit of sunshine, the rain only gets worse. Residents with money head off to the beaches of Florida in summer to escape rain-sodden Elbow, but when they get back, the rain is still where they left it. And so the setting of Rebecca Promitzer's The Pickle King is set up.
Bea's father, a photo journalist, died a while ago and Bea misses him terribly. She also misses her mum, who lost her grip on reality when Dad died and had to go live in a special hospital.
Bea now lives with Bertha, one of her mum's friends. She dreams constantly of getting out of Elbow during those never-ending wet weeks of summer.
But that is never likely to happen, so all Bea can do is dream.
Elbow's only claim to fame is a successful pickle factory started up a long time ago by Herman Henderson. Bea adores Herman's Devil Tongue Chili, and piles it liberally onto everything from toast to sweet pancakes. You have to get happiness where you can in Elbow, and dollops of Devil Tongue Chili are definitely one of life's pleasures for Bea as she wonders what to do with herself during yet another rain-lashed boring summer vacation.
