An endangered forest. An abandoned snow leopard. A child who only feels comfortable talking to animals. When fates collide, the unbelievable can happen ...

'Put me in mind of Dodi Smith and Gerald Durrell at their very best - enchanting and thrilling in equal measure.'Piers Torday

'Reads like a classic. I loved it.'Pam Muñoz Ryan

The Big Freeze 1963

Maggie's stutter makes going to school hard. She will do almost anything to avoid speaking in class - even if that leads to trouble.

Sent to stay in the depths of Cornwall with a grandfather she barely knows, Maggie discovers an abandoned snow leopard hiding in the nearby Wildoak Forest.

Sheltered by the ancient trees, the two of them build an understanding in secret. But when the cub is spotted by local villagers, danger follows - threatening everything she has come to believe in.

Can Maggie find an answer before time runs out - not just for the cub, but for herself and the forest as well?

• An enticing, classic new voice in children's fiction - perfect for fans of Natasha Farrant or Melissa Harrison 
• Told in alternating voices,Wildoak shimmers with life as it explores the delicate interconnectedness of the human, animal and natural worlds
• The bond between a troubled child and an abandoned snow leopard is at the heart of this emotional and atmospheric story set in the 1960s