the Watcher in the Garden

Trespassing in Mr Lovett's secluded garden was a welcome escape for sixteen-year-old Catherine. A haven away from the parents who didn't understand her moodiness and from her pretty, even-tempered sister, Diana, whom she resented. It was a place to be alone.

But this all changes when Catherine is confronted by Mr Lovett and, realising he is blind, decides to confide in him. And so begins a remarkable friendship.

Unexpectedly, a third person appears in the garden: an intruder. Terry - abrasive and sullen, menacing even - has a claim to make on the garden. It is a piece of land he feels should belong to his own family. In his plan neither Mr Lovett nor the garden is safe, and it is up to Catherine to stop him. But in Terry, she recognises something of herself.

A complex and gripping novel of human relationships from one of Australia's foremost authors for young adults.

Joan Phipson was born in Sydney of English parents and spent her childhood in England, Australia and India. After leaving school she did a correspondence course in journalism, then took a number of jobs in London, one of which was with Reuters. She returned to Australia in 1937 and spent several years working as a librarian and printer before joining the WAAAF. Joan Phipson won the Children's Book Council of Australia's Book of the Year Award in 1953 and 1963, for Good Luck to the Ride and The Family Conspiracy. She died in 2003.

'The Watcher in The Garden (1982) by Joan Phipson has been republished by Text Classics for a new generation of readers to appreciate this timeless tale of adolescent angst played out against the backdrop of its uniquely Australian background. The cover design and the wonderful introduction by Margo Lanagan set the mood for this remarkable tale.' ReadPlus