Book review – One Foot Wrong by Sofie Laguna

This review is the third in my series of reviews of books from the 2009 Miles Franklin Literary Award longlist. To see more reviews, please go here.

In One Foot Wrong, by Sofie Laguna, we are completely immersed in the world of Hester, a little girl trapped inside the world of her suburban home. Hester has never been outside and her only friends are handle, spoon and cat. Her parents, known only as Boot and Sack, punish her for laughing and tell her that laughter is the devil’s language. She has never been taught to read or write, but she does know all of the pictures in her Abridged Picture Bible off by heart.

Hester’s world is bleak to say the least, but things begin to look up one day with the appearance of a government man at the door demanding that Hester be sent to school. At school Hester finally gets to experience the world of other children, and she makes her first real friend, Mary. But the freedom that Hester gains by going to school is short lived and is devastatingly taken away from her after the guilt trips and punishments doled out by her parents cause Hester to lash out at one of her teachers.   

From here, Hester’s life goes from bad to worse, and the horrendous physical and psychological abuse she endures from her parents over the years takes its toll. Hester again lashes out, this time at her parents, and they decide that they must send her away.

Now trapped inside a psych ward instead of her home, Hester once again makes a friend. Together, Hester and her new friend Norma begin the journey to a new life, one that will be free of the pain and torture of the past. But first Hester must deal with the voices, the ones in her head that keep telling her to go home for one last visit…

One Foot Wrong is not for the faint of heart but the speed and skill with which Sophie Laguna pulls us into this child’s imaginary and yet all too real world shows all the marks of a gifted storyteller. There were certain parts of the book where I wasn’t sure if I could keep reading, like when you are watching a horror movie and you want to look away but inevitably you keep watching because you just have to know what happens. I did keep reading, and I was glad that I did, if only to know that the book does end on a somewhat hopeful note.

One Foot Wrong is Sophie Laguna’s first book for adults but she has previously written for children and young adults. Her other titles include Bird and Sugar Boy, Bad Buster and Too Loud Lily.

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