Synopsis

Edwardian England

Gwendolyn Deering was sent away to St Ursula’s School for Young Ladies six years ago, and she has no idea why. Estranged from her own family, she forms a new one with the troubled teens at her school, and tries to be at least a tiny bit happy. Except that she’s having these nightmares …

After a harrowing event at St Ursula’s, Gwendolyn is finally sent home, and her mother employs the brilliant Doctor Holder to help Gwendolyn try to remember buried parts of her past. Wary at first, Gwendolyn grows to deeply trust the intimidating and enigmatic doctor.

But Gwendolyn also has an issue with her brother’s friend, Mr O’Connor. Antagonistic with each other initially, Gwendolyn’s not quite sure of what to make of him. She’s not sure of what to make of anyone anymore, or who anyone truly is.

Until she really does find out, and all hell breaks loose.

What happens when the one boy who never wanted to grow up finally does, and the one girl he wanted to remember him … has forgotten?

Amazon

Review

I am going to admit that I didn’t read the description before I started reading this book. I did read it a few months ago, but not right before I started reading. So I was really confused about the chapters with Peter Pan and Wendy. This is all on me because that is what this book is all about…Peter and Wendy six years after their adventure. This is a problem for bookworms who pick up books that are in their queue without refreshing their memory about the storyline.

Things started clicking with the plot about 25% of the way into the book. Remember, I didn’t read the description before diving in! I had my suspicions about several characters and who they might really be from Neverland. They are peppered throughout the book, especially near the end as Gwendolyn (Wendy) starts to remember her time there.

This was such a delight to read. I was drawn into the story imagining what might have happened if Peter and Wendy reunited in the future and perhaps formed something more than a friendship. I enjoyed the banter between Gwendolyn and her friends at school, with her brothers, and with Mr. O’Connor. There are some real conversations with her mother near the end that help mend their relationship. Young children can’t know what parents are going through, especially when they lose their spouse. I loved the vulnerability of her mom in sharing those details with her.

This is a theater production and has been optioned for television. I do hope that it is made into something for television so that I am able to enjoy this in another format. I can also always hope that there is a traveling theater company and they make their way to the south. I can only imagine how fascinating this would be as a live production!

We give this book 5 paws up and highly recommend it, especially if you enjoy the story of Peter Pan.

Excerpt

Mr O’Connor picks up a bow and casts an odd look in my direction. “Perhaps it is that Miss Deering is not as skilled as you all remember? Let’s not pressure her. Likely best to leave the legend of her former prowess to the history books.”

There’s a moment of collective silence.

“I beg your pardon?” I ask evenly.

John stares at Mr O’Connor, mouth agape. “Connor …”

Mr O’Connor turns to me, scepticism plain on his face. “I just mean that it’s clear your brothers hold your skills in high regard. Perhaps those memories are clouded by brotherly affection, or bias?”

I snort indelicately.

“No one is better with a bow than Gwen,” Michael states defiantly, but Mr O’Connor doesn’t seem convinced.

“I find that hard to fathom. She is a girl, after all.”

I sit very still. Today, Mr O’Connor, I do not find you so very handsome. Everyone looks back and forth between the two of us. “You think you can do better?” I ask acidly.

Watch snippets on TikTok

About the Author

Altaire has directed and coached actors (youth and adult) who have gone on to star in film and television: Dream Scenario for A24 (TIFF), Fear Street/Prom Queen (Netflix), The Bearded Girl (upcoming feature), Believer (upcoming feature), Welcome to Derry (upcoming IT prequel), This Time (Best Actress at the Florence Film Festival), You Can Live Forever (Tribeca), DC’s Titans, Shazam, Clarice, Ginny & Georgia, Heartland, Hudson & Rex, Nurses, Northern Rescue, Frontier, October Faction (Netflix), Locke & Key (Netflix), Burden Of Truth and Coroner (CBC), Circuit Breakers (Apple tv), Left For Dead: The Ashley Reeves Story and The Good Father for Lifetime, Castle In The Ground (feature@ TIFF), Flint, Emerald Code, Degrassi, Once Upon A Time, Break Any Spell (Blood In The Snow Festival), Life With Boys, Motives and Murders, The Railway Children (Mirvish), and the Toronto Fringe.

Altaire’s students have also been accepted into prestigious dramatic academies like LAMDA and RADA, NTS, and other Canadian and American institutions.

A member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada, Altaire has adapted and directed various plays for youth: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Magician’s Nephew, Through The Looking Glass, and others.

Her original play, Forgotten (a reimagining of Peter Pan taking place some years after Wendy leaves Neverland and with a cast of 30+ youth and adults), was produced at The Academy Theatre in Lindsay, Ontario, in 2014 and has since been performed by numerous companies and schools around the world.

Nominated for Best Director for PROOF (EODL/also nominated for Best Production).
In 2024, Altaire also directed the one-act U Can’t Touch This for Women At Plays (Red Sandcastle Theatre/Toronto).

Her short story State vs Hades appeared in the June 2022 edition of the American anthology Luna Station Quarterly, and her dystopian short story Clocks Are Meaningless Here (appearing in the 2021 anthology Matters of Time) has been developed as a one-act for stage. Her short story Unreasonable was a runner-up for the New York City Midnight international short story contest and later appeared in the anthology Kawartha Lakes Stories. Altaire’s full-length novel FORGOTTEN is available.

She’s been tapped to write several undisclosed features, with Forgotten also recently optioned for television.

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