Allie and Henry meet a neatnik

The Secret Office
by Sara Cassidy (illustrated by Alyssa Hutchings)

Victoria: Orca Book Publishers, 2024
$8.95 / 9781459839465

Reviewed by Ginny Ratsoy

*

The Secret Office, by Victoria author Sara Cassidy (Union), is a quiet but absorbing work, straightforward in structure and style, with a plot that is sure of itself and illustrative of the joys of everyday life in a community—specifically, the modest old June Harriet Arms, an apartment building that is “like a big hug.” 

Protagonists nine-year-old twins Allie and Henry have a challenge on their hands: their mother, Sam, is working from home, specifically the living room of their small apartment. Although the trio live harmoniously, the children find the situation somewhat restrictive—not to mention that they know more about Sam’s colleagues than they might wish, thanks to Zoom. How can they restore the previous order and have free rein over their living quarters? 

Fortunately, everyday heroes walk among Allie and Henry in the unassuming building; once the twins begin to hatch a plan, an assortment of allies assist. Sam herself, although kept in the dark about that plan, is an exemplary role model, demonstrating that life is all about attitude and respect for the environment—while allowing Allie and Henry to learn from experience.

Elderly neighbour Olive provides the twins with words of wisdom, and, more importantly, an experience that proves helping others can be both emotionally and substantively satisfying. Above all, neatnik building custodian Mr. Jeff takes his job seriously—and expands it to include assisting and educating (as well as being educated by) the twins. 

As their quest to solve their spatial problem evolves, the twins learn many new life lessons and have others reinforced. Elbow grease and wise shopping play important roles in their success. So, too, do patience, persistence, reciprocity, and curiosity. They also experience firsthand the practicalities of the environmental outlook that their mother puts into practice. Along the way, Henry learns the difference between aggression and assertiveness—and the pair even expand their vocabularies. 

While the twins may have originally acted out of some measure of self-interest, they lose sight of that motive as they eventually not only regain their old space but manage to construct a new, improved environment for their mother—and themselves—in the unassuming June Harriet Arms, which turns out to be, as they and Mr. Jeff discover, remarkable in more ways than one.  

The nicely detailed black-and-white illustrations by Alyssa Hutchings nicely dovetail with both the tone and content of the story. Particularly effective is the keyhole drawing which precedes the text proper and is repeated, acting as a visual motif to the text’s themes.  

Cassidy deftly adapts the quest theme to a contemporary small setting. Not only are her characters engaging, but so, too, is her setting, which becomes a winning character in itself. In the space of eighty-three small pages, her chapter book managed to captivate this reader, provoking several re-readings. The Secret Office may be aimed at Grade Three readers, but its appeal transcends easy age categorization.  

Ginny Ratsoy is Professor Emerita at Thompson Rivers University. Her scholarly publications have focused on Canadian fiction, theatre, small cities, third-age learning, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Recently, Ratsoy was honoured and humbled to receive the 2024 Margaret Cleaveley Award for Canadian Literature Instruction from the Kamloops Adult Learners Society, where she has been a volunteer instructor since 2007 and, since her retirement in 2020, has also been involved as a board member and course coordinator. [Editor’s note: Ginny Ratsoy has reviewed books by Kallie George, Bill Richardson, Alison Hughes, Caroline Woodward, David Suzuki, Iona Whishaw, Danny Ramadan, Polly Horvath, Yolanda Ridge, Winona Kent, Amanda Lewis, Gregor Craigie, Iona Whishaw, Elizabeth Bass, Karen L. Abrahamson, & J.E. Barnard (eds.), and Gregor Craigie & Kathleen Fu for BCR.]

*

The British Columbia Review

Interim Editors, 2023-25: Trevor Marc Hughes (non-fiction), Brett Josef Grubisic (fiction and peotry)
Publisher: Richard Mackie

Formerly The Ormsby Review, The British Columbia Review is an online book review and journal service for BC writers and readers. The Advisory Board now consists of Jean Barman, Wade Davis, Robin Fisher, Barry Gough, Hugh Johnston, Kathy Mezei, Patricia Roy, and Graeme Wynn. Provincial Government Patron (since September 2018): Creative BC. Honorary Patron: Yosef Wosk. Scholarly Patron: SFU Graduate Liberal Studies. The British Columbia Review was founded in 2016 by Richard Mackie and Alan Twigg.

“Only connect.” – E.M. Forster